Uncovering the Ancient Roots of Domesticated Dogs
A new study lends insight into how domestication of our four-legged companions was steered by interactions with humans and their cultural practices.
Anthropology
A Theory (on Bullshit Jobs)
With help from readers who wrote to him about their workplace experiences, anthropologist David Graeber develops a taxonomy of bullshit jobs.
Our Stories Bind Us
Did storytelling evolve as a way of bringing together early human societies?
These Charts Show How It's Your Career Path—Not Your College Major—That Affects How Much You Make
Take heart, anthropology majors.
Lucy Goes East
The discovery of bones in the Kenyan highlands suggest early human relatives were even more adaptable than anthropologists thought.
What Motivates Extreme Self-Sacrifice?
New work in the field of anthropology says violent extremism isn't really motivated by religion—but by fusion with the group.
Violent Extremism Isn't Really Motivated by Religion
An early look at a Pacific Standard story that's currently only available to subscribers.
The Complicated Science—and Conflict—Behind Identifying the First Native Americans
Genetic studies of living Native Americans and ancient remains are revising our theories about America’s first inhabitants.
Nancy Scheper-Hughes Responds to Profile
The chair of the doctoral program in medical anthropology at the University of California-Berkeley was written about in the July/August issue of Pacific Standard.
The Organ Detective: Hidden Global Market in Human Flesh
Tracking the organ trade, anthropologist Nancy Scheper-Hughes visited African and South American dialysis units, organ banks, police morgues, and hospitals. She interviewed surgeons, patient's rights activists, pathologists, nephrologists, and nurses. So why aren't more people listening to her?
Flexian Invasion: Strange Creatures Capture the Capital!
A new professional class of movers and shakers—people who serve overlapping roles in government, business, and media with smiling finesse—is controlling the flow of power and money in America. The anthropologist Janine Wedel is bent on making us understand just how dangerous this new normal can be.
The Pit House
Our multimedia presentation on the evolution of fairness continues with a visit to the reconstructed houses that saw the rise of a 'transegalitarian' society.
Charting Genomes: Old Hairs Create New Headaches
Two studies make similar strides in identifying how mankind came to populate the Earth, but their differing approaches to gathering and using samples open up ethical questions.
Powerful Men Have More Children, Anthropologist Says
Anthropologist Christopher von Rueden's studies of a Bolivian tribe suggest that men's instinctive drive for power is a strategy to seed their descendants thickly.
Comet Theory Comes Crashing to Earth
An elegant archaeological hypothesis, under fire for results that can’t be replicated, may ultimately come undone.
Forensics in Three Dimensions
For the first time, a tool allows researchers to identify the ancestry of the remains of children, which may help solve some forensic cold cases.
The Scrutable Asian
The Fox family of television networks is not exactly known for its subtle look at the nature of cultural difference.