Milford H. Wolpoff

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Milford H. Wolpoff
Born1942
Timothy Douglas White
Mary Doria Russell
John D. Hawks

Milford Howell Wolpoff is a

multiregional evolution hypothesis that explains the evolution of Homo sapiens as a consequence of evolutionary processes and gene flow across continents within a single species. Wolpoff authored the widely used textbook Paleoanthropology (1980 and 1999 eds.),[1] and co-authored Race and Human Evolution: A Fatal Attraction, which reviews the scientific evidence and conflicting theories about the interpretation of human evolution, and biological anthropology's relationship to views about race.[2][3]

Wolpoff is best known for his vocal support of the multiregional model of

Out of Africa' theory. The basis for advancing the multiregional interpretation stems from his skepticism of punctuated equilibrium (the idea evolution typically proceeds with long static periods and abrupt changes, instead of gradual modification during speciation) as an accurate model for Pleistocene humanity, noting that speciation played a role earlier in human evolution.[4][clarification needed
]

Education

Wolpoff was born in 1942 to Ruth (Silver) and Ben Wolpoff, in

University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois. His research advisor and intellectual mentor was Eugene Giles.[5] He joined the faculty of the University of Michigan in 1971, and became a professor of anthropology in 1977.[3]

Professional work

Wolpoff was trained primarily as a paleoanthropologist at the University of Illinois under Eugene Giles. With his multidisciplinary training, he brings to the study of the human and non-human primate fossil record a background that combines evolutionary theory, population genetics, and biomechanics. With over 50 grants funded by the

hominid evolution, the nature and explanation of allometry, robust australopithecine evolution, the distribution and explanation of sexual dimorphism, hominid origins, the pattern and explanation of Australasian hominid evolution, the contributions and role of genetics in paleoanthropological research, and the taxonomy of the genus Homo. In addition, he is a primary describer of many hominid fossil remains. Since 1976 Wolpoff has graduated more than 20 PhD students.[2]

Multiregional evolution and the punctuated equilibrium theory

Main article: Multiregional origin of modern humans

Drawing on this background and research experience, Wolpoff's continuing research in the last 15 years has been the development, articulation, and defense of his multiregional model of human evolution.

Homo sapiens evolved recently as a new species in Africa, and then dispersed throughout the Old World, replacing the existing human populations without mixing with them.[7][8]

His theory evoked rivalry with the proponents of punctuated equilibrium, Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge, who endorsed H. erectus as a model of their theory.[4][9] In an earlier example of punctuated evolution preceding the global diffusion of Homo sapiens genes from Africa, some two million years ago, Wolpoff points to evidence of an earlier 'genetic revolution' that took place in a small group isolated from australopithecine forebears. "The earliest H. sapiens remains differ significantly from australopithecines in both size and anatomical details," he notes, "Insofar as we can tell, these changes were sudden and not gradual."[10]

Awards and honours

Wolpoff is a member of many anthropological organizations, and is an Honorary Life Member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (in 2001) and Fellow of the American Anthropological Association. Some notable awards are[5]

  • LS&A Excellence in Education Award in 1998
  • W.W. Howells Book Prize in Biological Anthropology, presented by the Biological Anthropology Section of the American Anthropological Association in 1999
  • Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger Award at the Krapina 1899–1999 Conference, presented by the Croatian Natural History Museum
  • Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer of 2001–2004
  • Darwin Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in 2011[11]

Media

Books and monographs

His work with Rachel Caspari, Race and Human Evolution earned them the W.W. Howells Book Prize in 1999. Besides these, he has published 5 other books, 160 papers, and 22 book reviews, has presented numerous lectures and meetings papers, and has had many interviews and video appearances.

Magazines and films

Wolpoff has also appeared in The

New York Times, New Scientist, Discover, and Newsweek.[2] He has appeared in numerous video documentaries, notable ones include[5][12]

References

  1. ASIN B010WEX0HS
    .
  2. ^ a b c Brockman J (2012). "Milford H. Wolpoff". Edge. Edge Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
  3. ^ a b "Milford Wolpoff (The Department of Anthropology)". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on 2015-10-30. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
  4. ^
    doi:10.1666/0094-8373(2003)029<0186:TPOEIP>2.0.CO;2
    .
  5. ^ a b c "Curriculum Vitae: Milford H. Wolpoff". University of Michigan. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
  6. ^ Hirst KK. "Milford Howell Wolpoff". About.com Guide. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
  7. ^ Hirst KK (1999). "Wolpoff, Milford H." Researchers. International Center for Scientific Research. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
  8. PMID 10766948. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
  9. ^ Wolpoff MH, Caspari R (2002). "Response to 'Grappling with the Ghost of Gould' by David P. Barash (letter to the editor)". Human Nature Review. 2: 297.
  10. ^ "Human ancestors make evolutionary changes". The Free Library. Science Service, Inc. 4 May 1984. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
  11. ^ Hagen E (11 March 2011). "Darwin award 2011: Milford Wolpoff". American Association of Physical Anthropologists. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
  12. ^ "Curriculum vitae : Milford H. Wolpoff". en.convdocs.org. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-30.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Milford_H._Wolpoff&oldid=1181596485"