Éamon Callison, originally from Denver (elevation ~5280 ft), is finishing his PhD in Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Philosophy of Science at Washington University in St. Louis, followed by an MPhil in Human Evolutionary Studies at the University of Cambridge. His dissertation work has focused on understanding the form and function of the human chest. He is interested in how humans have evolved to breathe during sustained endurance activities, like running, and how selection has affected how we use our ribs to inhale and exhale. To answer these questions, he has measured thoracic motion in humans, dogs, and goats, examined lots of bones, measured human fossils, and worked in the Peruvian Andes (elevation ~14230 ft). We're extremely lucky to have him on the show -- and trust me when I say: he delivers!
Sneak Peek
Q: What do coyotes, pigeons and humans have in common?
A: They're all massively adaptible and flourish in different environments.
Q: Why am I a biped?
A: UBER Eats didn't exist 7 million years ago.
Q: Are there as of yet unknown biological mechanisms that could confer even greater ventilation ability in humans?
A: *nerding out so hard you need to take a breather* yes and no...
TOPICS & CONCEPTS
Breathing & Ventilation
Gestation & Birth
Evolution of the Thoracic Cage
Environment & Culture
Natural Selection: Heritability, Variation & Competition
The Modern Human Timeline
Last Common Ancestors (LCA) & Chimpanzees
Forest Fragmentation & The Evolution of Bipedality
Energy Expenditure
The Treasured Chest
Paleontology
Funnel vs. Barrel
The Expensive Tissue Hypothesis
Shape vs. Function
The Costovertebral Joint: Curvature = Motion
Goats on Treadmills
Vacuums & Negative Pressure
A Visceral Piston
Sprinters & Weight-LIfters
Pump-Handle vs. Bucket-Handle
High-Altitude Adaptations & The Peruvian Quechua
Highlights of Grad School
/// SOCIALS
/// CLOSING REMARKS
Episode Art Background Photo Credit: Jesse Orrico
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Episode Art by Meand Nino Liverani & Rishi Ragunathan on Unsplash
