Elen Feuerriegel

Last updated

Elen Feuerriegel
Nationality Australian
Alma mater
Known forDiscovery of Homo naledi
Scientific career
Fields Palaeoanthropology
Institutions University of Washington
Thesis Biomechanics of the Hominoid Shoulder: Entheseal Development and Manual Manipulation  (2016)
Doctoral advisor Colin Groves

Elen Feuerriegel is an Australian palaeoanthropologist, known for being one of the "underground astronauts" of the Rising Star Expedition. [1] [2] [3] She is also a clinical research scientist at the University of Colorado Denver where she specialises in COVID-19 AND HIV clinical trials. [4]

Contents

Career

Feuerriegel studied anthropology at the University of Queensland (BA, 2011) and the Australian National University (M. Biol. Anth, 2012). She then began work on a PhD at ANU, under the supervision of Colin Groves, which she completed in 2017. [3] [5] Her thesis was on the biomechanics of the hominoid shoulder and its role in tool-making (flint knapping), [6] and included research on Homo naledi fossils from Rising Star Cave in South Africa. [3]

In 2013, whilst a PhD student, Feuerriegel responded to an advertisement on Facebook calling for "skinny, highly-qualified paleontologists" [1] with caving experience. The advertisement was placed by Lee Berger, who was recruiting a team to recover hominid fossils he had discovered in the difficult-to-access Dinaledi Chamber of Rising Star Cave. This expedition was part of a National Geographic sponsored study called the "Rising Star Expedition" and she was one of only six scientists, all women, who entered the cave. Feuerriegel's analysis of the fossils uncovered in the cave were published in an issue of Nature dedicated entirely to the expedition. [7] As part of the expedition Feuerriegel helped excavate the fossils, which were subsequently assigned to a new species of human, Homo naledi . She has a special interest in the functional morphology of the upper limb (shoulder and elbow) and hand and, as such, also studied the Home naledi upper limb bones. [3]

Following this expedition Feuerriegel spent some time working as a part-time lecturer at the University of Washington within the Department of Anthropology [5] before starting work as a clinical research scientist at the University of Colorado where she is a study program manager looking at the long-term effects of COVID-19. [8] [4]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

Paleoanthropology or paleo-anthropology is a branch of paleontology and anthropology which seeks to understand the early development of anatomically modern humans, a process known as hominization, through the reconstruction of evolutionary kinship lines within the family Hominidae, working from biological evidence and cultural evidence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cradle of Humankind</span> Paleoanthropological site near Johannesburg, South Africa

The Cradle of Humankind is a paleoanthropological site that is located about 50 km (31 mi) northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Gauteng province. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, the site is home to the largest known concentration of human ancestral remains anywhere in the world. The site currently occupies 47,000 hectares (180 sq mi) and contains a complex system of limestone caves. The registered name of the site in the list of World Heritage Sites is Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa.

Marc R. Meyer is an archaeologist and anthropologist who is notable for his excavation of, and research into, the remains of fossil hominids such as Australopithecines and early genus Homo. He currently lectures at Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Callao Cave</span> Cave and archaeological site in the Philippines

Callao Cave is one of 300 limestone caves located in the Barangays of Magdalo and Quibal in the municipality of Peñablanca, about 24 km (15 mi) northeast of Tuguegarao City, the capital of Cagayan province within the Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape in the western foothills of the Northern Sierra Madre Mountains on Luzon island in the Philippines. The town Peñablanca's name refers to the predominance of white limestone rock formations in the area. First excavated in 1980 by Maharlika Cuevas, the seven-chamber show cave is the best known natural tourist attraction of the Cagayan province and in February 2020 has officially been recognized as an important cultural property of the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australopithecine</span> Extinct subtribe of the Hominini tribe, and members of the human clade

The australopithecines, formally Australopithecina or Hominina, are generally any species in the related genera of Australopithecus and Paranthropus. It may also include members of Kenyanthropus, Ardipithecus, and Praeanthropus. The term comes from a former classification as members of a distinct subfamily, the Australopithecinae. They are classified within the Australopithecina subtribe of the Hominini tribe. These related species are sometimes collectively termed australopithecines, australopiths, or homininians. They are the extinct, close relatives of modern humans and, together with the extant genus Homo, comprise the human clade. Members of the human clade, i.e. the Hominini after the split from the chimpanzees, are called Hominina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaic humans</span> Extinct relatives of modern humans

Archaic humans is a broad category denoting all species of the genus Homo that are not Homo sapiens, which are sometimes also called Homo sapiens sapiens, in which case the singular use of sapiens has been applied to some archaic humans as well. Among the earliest modern human remains are those from Jebel Irhoud in Morocco, Florisbad in South Africa (259 ka), Omo-Kibish I in southern Ethiopia, and Apidima Cave in Southern Greece. Some examples of archaic humans include H. antecessor (1200–770 ka), H. bodoensis (1200–300 ka), H. heidelbergensis (600–200 ka), Neanderthals, H. rhodesiensis (300–125 ka) and Denisovans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Berger (paleoanthropologist)</span> Paleoanthropologist, physical anthropologist, archaeologist

Lee Rogers Berger is an American-born South African paleoanthropologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. He is best known for his discovery of the Australopithecus sediba type site, Malapa; his leadership of Rising Star Expedition in the excavation of Homo naledi at Rising Star Cave; and the Taung Bird of Prey Hypothesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNM ER 3883</span> Fossilized skull

KNM ER 3883 is the catalogue number of a fossilized skull of the species Homo ergaster. The fossil was discovered by Richard Leakey in 1976 in Koobi Fora, east of Lake Turkana, Kenya.

Timeline of anthropology, 2010–2019

The Rising Star cave system is located in the Malmani dolomites, in Bloubank River valley, about 800 meters southwest of Swartkrans, part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in South Africa. Recreational caving has occurred there since the 1960s. In 2015, fossils found there two years prior were determined to be a previously unknown extinct species of hominin named Homo naledi.

<i>African Genesis</i> 1961 nonfiction work by Robert Ardrey

African Genesis: A Personal Investigation into the Animal Origins and Nature of Man, usually referred to as African Genesis, is a 1961 nonfiction work by the American writer Robert Ardrey. It posited the hypothesis that man evolved on the African continent from carnivorous, predatory ancestors who distinguished themselves from apes by the use of weapons. The work bears on questions of human origins, human nature, and human uniqueness. Although some of his ideas were refuted by later science, it was widely read and continues to inspire significant controversy.

<i>Homo naledi</i> South African archaic human species

Homo naledi is an extinct species of archaic human discovered in 2013 in the Rising Star Cave system, Gauteng province, South Africa, dating to the Middle Pleistocene 335,000–236,000 years ago. The initial discovery comprises 1,550 specimens of bone, representing 737 different skeletal elements, and at least 15 different individuals. Despite this exceptionally high number of specimens, their classification with other Homo species remains unclear.

<i>Dawn of Humanity</i> 2015 American documentary film

Dawn of Humanity is a 2015 American documentary film that was released online on September 10, 2015, and aired nationwide in the United States on September 16, 2015. The PBS NOVA National Geographic film, in one episode of two hours, was directed and produced by Graham Townsley. The film describes the 2013 discovery, and later excavation, of the fossil remains of Homo naledi, an extinct species of hominin assigned to the genus Homo, found within the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system, located in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. Additionally, the National Geographic Society has multiple videos on its website covering different phases of the discovery and excavation of the fossils during a two-year period. As of September 2015, fossils of at least fifteen individuals, amounting to 1550 specimens, have been excavated from the cave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underground Astronauts</span> Group of Scientists

The Underground Astronauts is the name given to a group of six scientists, Hannah Morris, Marina Elliott, Becca Peixotto, Alia Gurtov, K. Lindsay Hunter, and Elen Feuerriegel, who excavated the bones of Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star cave system in Gauteng, South Africa. The six women were selected by the expedition leader, Lee Rogers Berger, who posted a message on Facebook asking for scientists with experience in paleontological excavations and caving, and were slender enough for cramped spaces. Within ten days of the post, Berger had received almost sixty applicants and chose six scientists to make up his expedition team.

Alia Gurtov is an American paleoanthropologist who is known for being one of the six Underground Astronauts of the Rising Star Expedition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becca Peixotto</span> American archaeologist

Rebecca (Becca) Peixotto is an American archaeologist who is best known for her contribution to the Rising Star Expedition as one of the six Underground Astronauts, a group of scientists tasked with excavating the Rising Star Cave System. She has also participated in the Great Dismal Swamp Landscape Study and is an experienced wilderness educator.

Hannah Morris is an American anthropologist, known for her contribution to the Rising Star Expedition as one of the six women Underground Astronauts. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, studying "the implications of human actions on vegetative ecosystems".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marina Elliott</span> Canadian biological anthropologist

Marina Elliott is a Canadian biological anthropologist, who is known for being one of the six Underground Astronauts of the Rising Star Expedition.

Trenton Holliday is a paleoanthropologist who was involved in the discovery of Homo naledi, found in the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa in 2015. Holliday, along with his team, analyzed the body size and proportions of the fossil.

Steven E. Churchill is an American paleoanthropologist who has been a professor in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University since 2013. He was one of the leaders of a 2015 expedition that led to the discovery of a large trove of Homo naledi fossils in a cave near Johannesburg, South Africa.

References

  1. 1 2 "Meet the six female 'underground astronauts' who recovered our newest relative". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  2. Back, Alexandra (21 September 2015). "Homo naledi discovery: How ANU student Elen Feuerriegel joined the Rising Star expedition". Canberra Times. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Weule, Genelle (26 August 2017). "The 'underground astronaut' and her search for ancient bones". ABC News. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Elen Feuerriegel". ResearchGate. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Elen Feuerriegel". Department of Anthropology. University of Washington. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  6. Wragg Sykes, Becky (9 May 2014). "Elen Feuerriegel". Trowelblazers - Pioneering Women in Archaeology, Palaeontology and Geology — Past & Present. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  7. Australian National University. "Student profiles, Elen". ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  8. Romig, Suzie (23 October 2022). "Returning to activity is difficult, but possible with long COVID". www.steamboatpilot.com. Retrieved 11 October 2023.