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Irisa Arney, Ph.D.

Irisa Arney, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Anatomy

College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific - Northwest

iarney@westernu.edu

Phone: 541-259-0232

Join year: 2021

  • Education

    Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2019

    M.A. with honors, Biological Anthropology, New Mexico State University, 2012

    B.S., Anthropology, Baylor University, TX, 2009

  • Professional Experience

    Research Assistant, University of Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Clinical and Applied Science Education, 2019-2021

    Research Affiliate, University of Michigan, Department of Anthropology, 2019-2021

  • Teaching Experience

    Adjunct Laboratory Instructor, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 2019

    Teaching Assistant, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 2018-2019

    Instructor, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 2017

    Graduate Student Instructor & Research Assistant, University of Michigan, Department of Anthropology, Ann Arbor, MI, 2013-2017

    Teaching Assistant, New Mexico State University, Anthropology, La Cruses, NM, 2010-2012

    Teaching Assistant, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, Department of Chemistry, 2010

    Teaching and Research Assistant, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 2009

  • Research Interest

    Broadly speaking, my research examines the evolution of mammals in East Africa during the Miocene epoch (25-5 Ma) with a specific focus on the catarrhine primates (Old World monkeys and apes, including humans). Particularly, I am interested in how local environmental and regional climatic changes affected the morphology and locomotor/dietary ecology of African Miocene mammalian species. My research involves 1) studying limb functional morphology in modern primates to reconstruct locomotor patterns and positional behaviors in fossil primates; and 2) reconstructing the paleodiets and paleoenvironments of African Miocene primate and mammalian faunavia stable isotopes and 2D/3D dental topographic metrics.

  • Research Grant

    Grants and Fellowships

    LSB Leakey Research Grant, PI: Lauren Gonzales; CO-PIs: Irisa Arney, Ethan Hyland, Samuel Muteti, Rutger Jansma, $25,000, 2019

    Nishioka Scholarship in Anatomical Science Education, $4,000, 2019

    LSB Leakey Dissertation Research Grant, $11,985, 2017

    Rackham Summer Award, University of Michigan, $8,000, 2016

    Rackham International Research Award, University of Michigan, $5,000, 2015

    Rackham Candidate Student Research Grant, $3,000, 2015

    Anthropology Research Grant, University of Michigan, $4,000, 2013-2015

    Rackham Pre-Candidate Research Grant, University of Michigan, $1500, 2013

    African Studies Center, University of Michigan, $1,500, 2013

    Rackham Merit Fellowship, $80,000, 2012-2019

    Museum Collections Research

    Smithsonian National Museum Natural History, Washington DC, 2018

    Turkana Basin Institute, Ileret, Kenya, 2017

    Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, 2017

    National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, 2013-2017

    Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge,Massachusetts, 2013, 2018

    ClevelandMuseumofNaturalHistory,Cleveland,Ohio, 2011

  • Awards

    New Mexico State University Graduate Assistant Merit Enhancement Award ($4,000)

    Lambda Alpha Anthropological Honor Society

    Baylor Dean’s List

    Jesse H. Jones and Mary Gibbs Jones Scholars Program, Baylor University

    Baylor Provost Scholarship

  • Organizations

    Geological Society of America (member)

    Association of Physical Anthropologists (member)

    Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (member)

  • Publications

    Nengo, I.O., Benefit, B.R., McCrossin, M.L., Arney, I.D., Miller, E.R., Russo, G., Rae, T. A new hominoid lower canine specimen from the middle Miocene of Napudet. Journal of Human Evolution (In revision).

    Sanders, W.J., Miller, E.R., Nengo, I., Semprebon, G., Arney, I. Taxonomy and paleoecology of a remarkably diverse new proboscidean assemblage from the terminal Early Miocene site of Buluk, Kenya. Society for Vertebrate Paleontology. (accepted).

    Arney, I.D., Miller, E., Nengo, I.O., Locke, E., Sanders, W.J. 2020. Stable Carbon Isotopes of Mammalian Tooth Enamel and Paleoenvironments of the Early Miocene Locality Buluk, Kenya.American Journal of Physical Anthropology171(S69): 11

    Arney, I.D.,McCrossin, M., Benefit, B.R., Nengo, I. 2019. Moving through time: Intermediate phalanges from East African early and middle Miocene catarrhines reveal locomotor changes.American Journal of Physical Anthropology168(S68):8

    Arney, I.D., MacLatchy, L., Benefit, B.R., McCrossin, M., and Kingston, J.D. 2018. Environmental change and African early to middle Miocene Catarrhine Evolution.American Journal of Physical Anthropology165(S66):12-13.

    Arney, I.D.,Cote,S., Fox,J., Kingston, J., MacLatchy, L., Manthi, F., Mbua, E., McNulty, K., and Nengo, I. 2017. Stable isotopic evidence of paleoenvironments at early Miocene localities from Tinderet, Kenya. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Calgary, AB, Canada).

    Nengo I, Benefit B, Arney I.D., Mccrossin M, Rae, T., and Miller, E. 2016. A large-bodied ape canine from middle Miocene Napudet deposits in the Turkana Basin, Kenya. American Journal of Physical Anthropology159(S62): 239.

    Arney I.D., Benefit, B.R., and McCrossin, M.L. 2015. The body mass of Victoriapithecus macinnesi revisited using foot remains. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 156(S60):71-72.

    Arney I.D., McCrossin, M.L., and Benefit, B.R. 2013.Kenyapithecusis the Earliest Plantigrade Hominoid.American Association of Physical Anthropology,150(S56):69.

    Arney I.D., McCrossin, M.L., and Benefit, B.R. 2012. Ape-like mobility in the semi-terrestrially adapted foot of Kenyapithecus africanus. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 147(S54): 86.