In The News: Department of Anthropology
It was a challenge unlike any other the chef-turned-graduate student had faced: Vayu Maini Rekdal had to create a menu in which every ingredient could be eaten either raw or cooked. No pickling was allowed, nor fermented toppings such as soy sauce or miso. Nothing could be processed, so things such as tofu were out. And the more sweet potatoes he could serve up, the better.
Scientists have pinpointed the members of society most likely to have children out of wedlock, by mapping the DNA of people in a region of Western Europe over the past 500 years.
Cassidy Percoco is joined by Lyndsey Craig, MS candidate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to chat briefly about the study, "Pubic Hair Removal Practices in Cross-Cultural Perspective," of which she was lead author. The study's anthropological in nature, but involves some descriptions of historical practices!
Discussion with human evolutionary biology researcher Dr. Alyssa Crittenden about the Hadza, a modern hunter-gatherer people in Tanzania, Africa.

Before scientists tested the effects of some dietary changes on the microbiome, they ordered a special menu from a chef-turned-chemist.
Even Kim Kardashian did it - eaten her placenta. The eating of the nut cake should make you fitter, protect against depression and is therefore the trend. But is that really true? Doctors have their doubts there.
A UCLA study found that societies in which men are more invested in the care of their children show signs of more jealousy in response to infidelity.
Our human ancestors lost the primate pelt — researchers investigate what they gained.
The societal messages we receive about our genital hair cause us a great deal of turmoil. Should we trim? Shave completely? Or let it grow free? What do our grooming preferences say about us and how do the people we’re intimate with feel about that? On this episode, we examine your personal stories, difficulties, and strategies for caring for your garden down below. We also speak with Lyndsey Craig, an anthropology doctoral candidate studying cross-cultural pubic hair grooming practices. They say that our modern preference for genital baldness is primarily influenced by pornography & the media. Will Lyndsey’s pubic detective work throughout history tell us otherwise? You may be surprised at what you learn!
When pubic hair became less fashionable, so did talking about crabs—but they're just as common as they've ever been.
On this episode, I was joined by Lyndsey Craig, a researcher and Ph.D. student of Anthropology at UNLV. She recently penned a paper titled, “Pubic Hair Removal Practices in Cross-Cultural Perspective.”
What do you do with your hair down there? Maybe you pluck it, maybe you wax it, maybe you’ve lasered it all off…But why are we so obsessed with removing our pubes, and has it always been this way? Host Nat Tencic tackles those questions and learns how everyone can embrace whatever landscaping they choose … and how to deal if a partner can't get around it.