Dr. Fred Smith
University Professor of Anthropology
Sociology and Anthropology
Office Hours
By apppointment
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Research
Biography
Born and raised in the mountains of East Tennessee, I'm still trying to find a hill in central Illinois.
Teaching Interests & Areas
Biological anthropology, human paleontology, human osteology and functional anatomy
Research Interests & Areas
Dr. Fred H. Smith has worked on Neanderthal and early modern human fossil material for almost 50 years. His is particularly focused on the role of Neanderthals in the emergence of modern humans in western Eurasia. His publications number 7 books, over 200 professional articles, and numerous abstracts, notes and reviews. His 1984 book, The Origin of Modern Humans, was named best book in the life sciences that year by the American Association of Publishers, and his newest book , The Origins of Modern Humans. Biology Reconsidered (with James Ahern), was published in 2013 by Wiley-Blackwell. Smith has carried out field and laboratory research in Europe, West Asia and Africa and has taught at the Universities of Hamburg and Tuebingen (Germany) and Zagreb (Croatia)
Ph D Biological Anthropology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
MA Anthropology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
BA Zoology, Anthropology
University of Tennessee
Knoxville TN
Fellow
American Association for the Advancement of Science
2018
2017 Distinguished Lecturer
Central States Anthropological Society
2017
Distiguished Faculty Award
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, NIU
2014
William King Medal
National University of Ireland, Galway
2014
Outstanding Researcher Award
Stone Age Institute, Indiana University
2013
Gabriel Ward Lasker Award
American Association of Physical anthropologists
2013
University Professorship
Illinois State University
2013
Book, Authored
Smith, F., & . The Origins of Modern Humans. Biology Reconsidered. Wiley Blackwell (2013)
Book, Chapter
Smith, F. The European Fossil Record. Wenda Trevatham (EDs), International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology. Wiley Blackwell (2018)
Smith, F., Janković, I., & Ahern, J. Human skeletal remains. The Archaeolim Project.. rchaeological Museum, Zagreb (2017)
Janković, I., J. C.M. Ahern, I. Karavanić & F. H. Smith (2016) The importance of Croatian Pleistocene hominin finds in the study of human evolution. In: K. Havarti and M. Roksandic, Eds. Paleoanthropology of the Balkans and Anatolia. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 35-50.
Karavanić, I., R. Šošić-Klindžić, J. C.M. Ahern, N. Čondić, I. Janković, K. Zubčić & F. H. Smith (2016). New light on the Paleolithic of Croatia. In: K. Havarti and M. Roksandic, Eds. Paleoanthropology of the Balkans and Anatolia. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 153-169.
Smith, F., & Janković, I. Interactions in the Old Stone Age: possible scenarios using the Vindija biological evidence. Darko Josić (EDs). BAR-Archaeolpress (2016): 57-66.
Journal Article
Ackermann, R., Arnold, M., Grant, P., Jolly, C., Smith, F., & Zinner, D. Hybridization in human evolution: insights from other organisms.. Evolutionary Anthropology 28 (2019): 189-209.
Jankovic, I., Vukosavljevic, N., Ahern, J., Karavanic, I., Mihelic, S., & Smith, F. Bukovac cave revisited. Recent excavations of an early Upper Paleolithic site in the Gorski kotar region of Croatia.. No. Archeologisches Korrespondenzblatt 48 (2018): 297-306.
Karavanic, I., Vukosavljevic, N., Jankovic, I., Ahern, J., & Smith, F. Paleolithic hominins and settlement in Croatia from MIS 6 to MIS 3: research history and current interpretations. No. Quaternary International 494 (2018): 152-166.
Patou-Mathis, M., Karavanic, I., & Smith, F. The evidence from Vindija Cave (Croatia) reveals diversity of neandertal behaviour in Europe.. No. Quaternary International 494 (2018): 413-426.
Relethford, J., & Smith, F. Cranial measures and ancient DNA both show greater similarity of Neandertals to recent modern Eurasians than to recent modern sub-Saharan Africans. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 166 (2018): 170-178.
Other
Smith, F., & Smith, B. Madeline Kneberg and the Birth of Biological Anthropology in Tennessee. Christopher Ruff (EDs). American Journal of Physical Anthropology Supplement 56: 257.
Presentations
The Naming of Neandertals. William King, Ernst Haeckel and the rise and fall of “Homo primigenius.”. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. (2016)
Continuity and Change in the Interpretation of Vindija Neandertal Morphology. Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers and Farmers in the Adriatic and neighboring Regions. University of Zagreb. (2015)
Current Research on Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene in the Lim Chanel, Istria, Croatia. Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers and Farmers in the Adriatic and neighboring Regions. University of Zagreb. (2015)
Etiology of the horizontal-oval form of the mandibular foramen and a reassessment of its usefulness for paleoanthropological studies. European Society for the Study of Human Evolution. European Society for the Study of Human Evolution. (2015)
Something Old, Something New: The Relationship betweeen Neandertals and Early Modern Europeans in Croatia and East central Europe.. Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers and Farmers in the Adriatic and neighboring Regions.. University of Zagreb. (2015)
The Chronology, Stratigraphy, Archaeology and Biology of the Late Neandertals from Vindija Cave: An Update of the Evidence.. Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers and Farmers in the Adriatic and neighboring Regions. University of Zagreb. (2015)
There Are Neandertals Among Us. Mikey Science Lecture Series. Illinois State Museum. (2015)
a Visit With Neandertals. Epic of Creation. Zygon Center for Science and Religiion. (2015)
Effects of cold adaptation on the growth and development of the Neandertal cranial base. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. same. (2014)
Neandertal paranasal sinus and possible lifestyle correlates.. From Fossils to the Genome: The Anniversary of the. National University of Ireland Galway. (2014)