UCL Institute of Archaeology

• BS, MA, PhD
• ERC Research Associate

Research Interests

• Human Evolution and Anatomy
• Hominin Subsistence Strategies
• Taphonomy
• African Prehistory

Research Directory Records

• ORACEAF: Origins of the Acheulean at Olduvai

Affiliations and collaborations

• 2010-2011: Department of Anthropology Rutgers University.
• 2009-Present: Olduvai Geochronology and Archaeology Project (OGAP)
• 2007-2008: National Museums of Kenya, Archaeology Division.
• 2005-Present: Olduvai Landscape Paleoanthropology Project (OLAPP)
• 2003-2010: Koobi Fora Field School, Study Abroad, Rutgers University
• 2002-Present: Center for Human Evolutionary Studies (CHES), Rutgers University

Educational Background

• 2010: PhD in Evolutionary Anthropology, Rutgers University
  Dissertation: The Larger Mammal Fossil Assemblages from Beds III and IV, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania: Implications for the Feeding Behavior of Homo erectus
• 2006: MA Rutgers University specializing in taphonomy, African prehistory and carnivore ecology
• 2001: BS with high honors in Evolutionary Anthropology, Rutgers University
  Honors Thesis: Statistical Analyses of Hominid and Carnivore Induced Modification Marks on the Remains of White Tailed Deer from the Late Archaic Lamoka Lake Site, New York

• Pante, M.C. 2011. The larger mammal fossil assemblage from JK2, Bed III ,Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania: Implications for the feeding behavior of Homo erectus. Journal of Human Evolution (Accepted).
• Pante, M. C., Blumenschine, R. J., Capaldo, S. D., Scott, R. S. 2011. Validation of bone surface modification models for inferring fossil hominin and carnivore feeding interactions, with reapplication to FLK 22, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Journal of Human Evolution (In press)
• Pante, M. C., Blumenschine, R. J. 2010. Fluvial transport of bovid long bones fragmented by the feeding activities of hominins and carnivores. Journal of Archaeological Science 37, 846-854.
• Blumenschine, R. J., Prassack, K. A., Kreger, D., Pante, M. C. 2007. Carnivore Tooth Marks, Microbial Bioerosion and the Invalidation of Dominguez-Rodrigo and Barba’s (2006) Test of Oldowan Hominin Scavenging Behavior. Journal of Human Evolution, 53(4), 420-426.
• Harris, J. W. K., Braun, D. R., and Pante, M. C. 2007.  “Archaeological Archive from Africa: 2.7 myr-300,000 years ago” In Encyclopedia of Quaternary Studies Scott A. Elias (Eds.) pp 52-63.

In prep

• Richmond, B.G., Harris, J. W. K., Mbua, E., Braun, D. R., Bamford, M., Bobe, R.,Green, D. J., Griffin, N. L., McCoy, J. T., Merritt, S., Pante, M. C., Pobiner, B.,Carter-Menn, H., Chirchir, H., Kuira, P., Divergence in hominin upper limb anatomy in the Early Pleistocene. Working title to be submitted to Nature (2012).
• Capaldo, S. D., Pante, M. C. Surface mark evidence for passive scavenging and three stage models of site formation from FLKN 1 2, FLKN 3, FLK 22 (Zinjanthropus), and FLKNN 3, Bed I, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. To be submitted to Journal of Human Evolution (2012).

Presentations

2011

• McHenry, L. J., de la Torre, I., Pante, M. C., Njau, J. K.. New archaeological andgeological research on the origins of the Acheulean at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Podium presentation at the EAAPP Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Pante, M. C. The larger mammal fossil assemblage from JK2, Beds III, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania: Implications for the feeding behavior of Homo erectus. Podium presentation at the Paleoanthropology Society meeting in Minneapolis, MN.
• de la Torre, I., McHenry, L. J., Pante, M. C., Njau, J. K. New archaeological research on the origins of the Acheulean at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Podium presentation at the Paleoanthropology Society meeting in Minneapolis, MN.

2009

• Pante, M. C., Blumenschine, R. J. Fluvial transport of bovid long bone fragmented by the feeding activities of hominins and carnivores. Poster presentation American Association of Physical Anthropologists meetings, Chicago.

2006

• Pante, M. C. A taphonomic investigation of hominin scavenging from tree-stored leopard kills: Identifying early access to carcasses in the archaeological record. Poster presentation, Society of American Archaeology meetings, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

2004

• Pante, M. C. Quantified Proxies of Competition Among Carnivores: Analytical, Behavioral and Ecological Implications of Carnivore Ravaging. Oral presentation, Workshop and research collaboration meetings between the National Museums ofKenya and Rutgers University.