Areas of Specialization

Demography, infectious disease evolution, pastoralists, evolutionary ecology; Africa

Research

I'm an anthropologist interested in the demographic history of our species and the coevolution of our reproductive physiology and behavior. My work includes research on the prehistory of human disease, especially sexually transmitted diseases, and parenting behaviors. I have field experience in southern Africa, documenting the demography and child health of Herero pastoralists living there.  (PhD Penn State 1990.)

Selected Publications

Books

Pennington, R., and H. Harpending. 1993. The structure of an African pastoralist community: The demography, history, and ecology of the Ngamiland Herero. Oxford University Press.

Articles

Pennington, R. 1996. The causes of human population growth. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 99:259-274.

Pennington, R. 2001. Hunter-gatherer demography. In C.Panter-Brick, Robert Layton and Peter Rowley-Conwy, eds., Hunter-gatherers: An interdisciplinary perspective. Cambridge University Press, pp. 170-204.

Pennington, R. 2002. Economic stratification and health amongthe Herero of Botswana. In The Last of the Nomadic Herders,William Leonard and Michael Crawford, eds. Cambridge University Press, pp. 183-205.

Courses

Evolution of Human Nature (Anth 1050)

Maternal and Child Health (Anth 4133/6133)