iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

Oxford School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography @oxford-anthro.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Why do some chimpanzee mothers carry their dead infants for months? New study by doctoral candidate Reece Hammond & @tpuschel.bsky.social finds that strong maternal bonds and cause death provides the most consistent explanation. www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/articles/why...

anthro.ox.ac.uk

Why do some chimpanzee mothers carry their dead infants for months?

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

Dr. Kat Almeida-Warren @pintsizedprimate.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

How can the bones of extant primates help us to identify tool use in the past? 🐵 🦴🙂 Immeasurably proud of @rachel-hurwitz.bsky.social for publishing her 1st PhD chapter expanding on research that she started during her MSc with myself and Susana Carvalho!

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Impacted Bones: Can Extant Primates Help Identify Tool Use in Early Hominins?

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

MU-Peter Shimon 🀄 @mu-peter.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Impacted Bones: Can Extant Primates Help Identify Tool Use in Early Hominins🏺🧪 @rachel-hurwitz.bsky.social, Susana Carvalho, et al onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... Proposes a method for examining effect of percussive tool use on primate bone and using machine learning to discern patterns.

Primates engaging in lithic tool use. A: A group of Bossou Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) using a lithic hammer and anvil to crack nuts in the outdoor laboratory, Photo Credit: Cyril Ruoso. B: A female long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis

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Rachel Hurwitz @rachel-hurwitz.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Never thought I’d be able to say I was featured on a podcast but here we are! Thanks @tpuschel.bsky.social for trusting me to discuss our research! open.spotify.com/episode/13W8...

open.spotify.com

Spotify – Web Player

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

University of Oxford @ox.ac.uk · 18/05/2026

90% of people are right-handed, and no other primate species comes close to this level of hand preference. A new Oxford-led study suggests the reason may lie in two defining features of human evolution: walking on two legs and the expansion of the human brain. More info ⬇️ bit.ly/42Cbvnc

A close-up image of a human right hand against a blue background. Text at the bottom reads: “Why is almost everyone right-handed? The answer may lie in how we learned to walk.” Below this is the University of Oxford branding and website URL.

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

Thomas Püschel @tpuschel.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

We use data from ~2,000 individuals and 41 species to show that factors such as encephalization and bipedalism explain why at population level we are so predominantly right-handed (no other primate species shows it this strongly) www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-05... @oxford-anthro.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk

ox.ac.uk

Why is almost everyone right-handed? The answer may lie in how we learned to walk

Humans are the only primates with a population-wide hand preference. A new Oxford-led study, 'Bipedalism and brain expansion explain human handedness', published in PLOS Biology, traces it back to bip...

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Rachel Hurwitz @rachel-hurwitz.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Super excited to have this paper about human right-handedness out with @plosbiology.org

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

School of Archaeology @unioxarchaeology.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Our Palevo seminar series (run by Dr Dylan Gaffney) new term card is out! Their special 4th annual lecture will take place this year on Weds 20 May @ All Souls College. #neanderthals #genomes #evolution #DNA #plague #Denisovans #publiclecture #seminars

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Rachel Hurwitz @rachel-hurwitz.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Had a wonderful time presenting some preliminary work on the bones of Bossou chimpanzees at #AABA2026 in Denver!

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Rachel Hurwitz @rachel-hurwitz.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

New article out from my days in clinical research with the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group! doi.org/10.1016/j.bj...

doi.org

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

PALEO Research Group @primhevo.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Happy International Women’s Day! Today we celebrate women around the world, and especially all those who are part of the PPPG. We particularly thank our group leader, Professor Susana Carvalho, whose mentorship continues to inspire the next generation of researchers. Photo by Rachel Hurwitz.

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Rachel Hurwitz @rachel-hurwitz.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Incredibly interesting article featuring my wonderful supervisor Professor Susana Carvalho of the PALEO research group @primhevo.bsky.social, and the baboons of @gorongosapark.bsky.social www.newyorker.com/culture/anna...

newyorker.com

Animals Say Hello, but Do They Say Goodbye?

In recent years, researchers have challenged the idea that farewells are uniquely human.

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

PalEvo seminar series, University of Oxford @oxfordpalevo.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

A new set of talks upcoming for early 2026!

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

Thomas Püschel @tpuschel.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Thrilled this paper is out! We describe the rich vertebrate fauna from Lomekwi, identifying 85 taxa. During the time of Kenyanthropus, there were megaherbivores 🦒🦛🐘, numerous artiodactyls, diverse carnivores, giant crocodiles, and multiple primates  👉 authors.elsevier.com/c/1mHna3ic-F...

authors.elsevier.com

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

PalEvo seminar series, University of Oxford @oxfordpalevo.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Exciting line up for Michaelmas Term 2025!

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Rachel Hurwitz @rachel-hurwitz.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Come listen to me present my PhD research methods for studying hominin hand bones next week at the Oxford PalEvo seminar!

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Reposted by Rachel Hurwitz

PALEO Research Group @primhevo.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Workshop invitation 📯 Join us online to learn about the interdisciplinary primatological, paleoanthropological, and archaeological work conducted as part of the Primate Models for Hominin Evolution research theme at ICArEHB 🐒 Tuesday 1st April, 9:30am-5pm 📆 RSVP: forms.office.com/e/PXFZbfD0Z6

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