Anthropology Colloquium Series: Exploring Relationships between Entheseal Changes and Documented Life Histories
Ever wonder what bones can tell us about someone鈥檚 life? Dr. Emilie Wiedenmeyer, a biological anthropologist and forensic specialist, explores how subtle changes in our skeletons鈥攕pecifically where muscles attach to bones鈥攃an reveal detailed insights into a person鈥檚 physical activity and life history. Known as 鈥渕usculoskeletal markers鈥 or 鈥渆ntheseal changes,鈥 these tiny skeletal features are gaining attention not only in anthropology but also in forensic science, where they may help solve modern mysteries. Dr. Wiedenmeyer鈥檚 research uses both historic and modern skeletal collections to examine how these bony changes might reflect socioeconomic disparities, as well as their potential application in identifying unknown individuals.
The UAF Department of Anthropology is proud to host Dr. Wiedenmeyer as part of our Anthropology Colloquium Series.
Holding a Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology from Texas State University, Dr. Emilie L. Wiedenmeyer has extensive field and laboratory experience, including forensic work along the U.S.鈥揗exico border and collaborations with law enforcement and humanitarian agencies. Currently an Assistant Professor at Troy University, she brings an interdisciplinary and ethics-focused perspective to understanding the body as a record of lived experience. Her work blends cutting-edge science with a deep sense of public service鈥攕howing us how our bones carry stories of who we are and the lives we've lived.
About the Anthropology Colloquium Series at UAF
The Anthropology Colloquium Series is a vibrant platform for exploring the wide-ranging field of anthropology鈥攆rom local Indigenous lifeways to global issues like migration, conflict, and identity. These free, public events connect students, faculty, and the community with leading thinkers and practitioners in archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, and biological anthropology.