The Anthropologist’s Dilemma:
Studying Chimpanzees, Teaching Evolution,
and the Intersections of Faith and Science
What does it mean to be human? What kind of primate are we?
How are we related to Neanderthals and other extinct hominins?
Why should we care about such anthropological topics?
How does this information coexist with our belief systems?
“The Anthropologist’s Dilemma” answers these questions and delves into the in-depth experience of interacting with and studying the behavior and cognition of chimpanzees, our closest living relatives. It also examines the inherent challenges of teaching students and the public about our close relatedness to other primates, both living and extinct.
The author describes how we are interconnected with our evolutionary kin, not fundamentally separate from them.
About the Author
Devyn Carter conducted non-invasive behavioral and cognitive research with chimpanzees at the Living Links Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia under the guidance of world-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal. He received his MA in Anthropology from Georgia State University where he subsequently taught. His collaborative research contributions have appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals. His research interests include evolutionary biology, paleoanthropology, paleogenetics and primate studies. Currently, he works with children on the autism spectrum in Los Angeles, California.
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