Alyssa Crittenden

Associate Professor of Anthropology

Expertise: Anthropology, Nutrition, Human Behavioral Ecology, Hunters and Gatherers, Evolution of Childhood

Biography

Alyssa Crittenden is the Lincy Foundation Assistant Professor of Anthropology at UNLV, and a behavioral ecologist and nutritional anthropologist who works among the Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania, East Africa.

Her research interests include the evolution of the human diet, the evolution of childhood, the development of children's prosocial behavior, and the origins of the division of labor between the sexes. She applies the principles of evolutionary theory to the study of human behavior and cultural diversity. Her work crosses several disciplines, including anthropology, psychology, ecology, nutrition, and human biology.

Published widely in top-tier academic journals, Crittenden's research on the role of honey in human evolution and her work on Hadza diet and the gut microbiome has found its way to popular venues, such as National Geographic, The Smithsonian, National Public Radio, and several documentaries which have been shown in film festivals around the world.

Education

Ph.D., Biological Anthropology, University of California, San Diego
M.A., Anthropology, University of California, San Diego
B.A., Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz

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Alyssa Crittenden In The News

The end of the last hunter-gatherer?

Deutschlandfunk

November 20, 2018

The lifestyle of Hadza in Tanzania could soon be a thing of the past.

Farmers, tourists, and cattle threaten to wipe out some of the world's last hunter-gatherers

November 13, 2018

YAEDA VALLEY IN TANZANIA—As we hike down a rocky slope, through thorny acacias that snag our clothes and past the emaciated carcass of a cow, we hear people singing. We are approaching a small camp of Hadza hunter-gatherers, and our Tanzanian guide thinks they must be celebrating something.

Night Owls VS Early Birds: Which Sleep Style is Healthier?

Restonic

October 10, 2018

There are two kinds of sleepers in this world. Night owls who have energy well into the evening and go to bed late. And early birds, the ones who subscribe to the early-to-bed-early-to-rise regimen. You probably have a good idea of which category you fall into most of the time, but you might not know why or how to switch over into the other camp. Or even if you should.

The nature of bees and honey is key to plant and human development

The Splendid Table

August 24, 2018

It may not seem obvious at first, but the pollination prowess of bees affects much of what, how and why we eat. And it goes far beyond honey served from a jar.