Content type
Contributor
Institution
Duke University
Role
Associate Professor
Herman Pontzer, PhD
Associate Professor at Duke University
CONTRIBUTIONS
BIO
Dr. Pontzer’s research focuses on the physiology of humans and apes, and how ecology, lifestyle, diet, and evolutionary history affect metabolism and health.
Through laboratory and field studies, Dr. Pontzer’s work seeks to understand how our bodies evolved and how our evolutionary past shapes our lives today. His work also explores how ecology and evolution have influenced physical activity and the musculoskeletal system. To that end, he conducted the first measurements of daily energy expenditure in traditional hunter-gatherers, with some surprising findings.