Austin B. Lawrence, PhD

PhD in Integrative Anatomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, 2023

BA in Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 2017

Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2023-2024

ISAC, ISOM, FOM1, FOM2, FOM3, FOM4

I am a paleoanthropologist and anatomist studying the diversity of musculoskeletal form and function in living humans, other extant primates, and fossil hominins, with an anatomical focus on the hip and pelvis. My research is focused primarily on developing tools for interpreting the postcranial skeleton of fossil hominins to better understand the patterns and drivers of behavioral, ecological, and taxonomic diversity in human evolution. My work builds from a foundation in the anatomical sciences and employs methods from evolutionary biology, comparative anatomy, functional morphology, biomechanics, and 3D imaging to address fundamental questions about the evolution of humans and our primate relatives. Other research interests include the evolution of primate locomotion and diets, patterns of macroevolution in mammals, bone functional adaptation. Additionally, I am interested in understanding how anatomical variation contributes to symptoms and biomechanical variation in living humans with conditions such as femoroacetabular impingement.

National Science Foundation DDRIG, co-PI, PI: Ward CV ($6,044), 2022-2024

Leakey Foundation Research Grant, PI ($7,471), 2022-2024

SEC Emerging Scholars Doctoral Fellowship ($13,000) 2022-2023

Graduate & Professional Council Research Development Award ($550), 2021

Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research ($1,000), 2021-2022

2023 University of Missouri Graduate Student of Distinction

2023 MU GPC Conference Presentation Travel Award ($400)

2023 American Association for Anatomy Student/Postdoc Travel Award ($400)

2022 American Association for Anatomy Student/Postdoc Travel Award ($400)

2019 Outstanding Graduate Student in Outreach, Department of Pathology & Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine

American Association of Biological Anthropologists (2014-present)

American Association for Anatomy (2019-present)

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (2020-present)

Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2020-present)

Paleoanthropology Society (2015-present)

Publications

Lawrence AB, Hammond AS, Ward CV. (2025). Acetabular orientation, pelvic shape, and the evolution of hominin bipedality. Journal of Human Evolution, 200, 103633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103633

Beard DC, Zhang X, Wu DY, Martin JR, Erickson A, Boua JV, Hamagami N. Swift RG, McCullough KB, Ge X, Bell-Hensley A, Zheng H, Palmer CW, Fuhler NA, Lawrence AB, Hill CA, Papouin T, Noguchi KK, McAlinden A, Garbow JR, Dougherty JD, Maloney SE, Gabel HW. (2023). Distinct disease mutations in DNMT3A result in a spectrum of behavioral, epigenetic, and transcriptional deficits. Cell Reports, 42(11), 113411. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113411.

Bergstrom K, Lawrence AB, Pelissero AJ, Hammond LJ, Maro E, Bunn HT, Musiba CM. (2019). Aerial map demonstrates erosional patterns and changing topography at Isimila, Tanzania. South African Journal of Science 115 (7/8), Art. #5911. DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2019/5911.

Paine OCC, Leichliter JN, Avenant NL, Codron DC, Lawrence A, Sponheimer M. (2019). The ecomorphology of southern African rodent incisors: Potential applications to the hominin fossil record. PLoS ONE 14(2): e0205476. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205476.

Lawrence AB, Sandberg PA, Van Gerven DP, Sponheimer M. (2018). Evidence for differences in activity between socioeconomic groups at Kulubnarti, Nubia (550-800 CE), from osseous modifications of the proximal femur. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 28(6): 735-744. DOI: 10.1002/oa.2699.Link to PubMed or attachment for remainder of publications

Invited Talks

The iliac pillar and anterior ilium evolution in hominins: Significance for interpretations of pelvic morphology in the Australopithecus-Homo transition.Presentation at workshop “New Ways to Study Anatomy: A collaborative effort between the University of Toulouse and the University of Chicago.” Organizers: Z. Alemseged, J. Braga. The University of Chicago. Nov. 13, 2024

Effects of hip joint orientation and skeletal torsion on human locomotor biomechanics and evolution. Department of Medical Anatomical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences (Pomona, California). June 18, 2024

Effects of hip joint orientation and skeletal torsion on human locomotor biomechanics and evolution. Center for Anatomical Sciences, Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center (Fort Worth, Texas).Jan. 30, 2024

Human hip function, morphology, and evolution. Applied Anatomy Track Seminar, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-NW, Western University of Health Sciences (via Zoom). Feb. 23, 2023

Abstracts

Lawrence AB, Ward CV, Hammond AS, Alemseged Z. The iliac pillar and anterior ilium evolution in hominins. American Association of Biological Anthropologists 2025 Annual Meeting. (podium)

Lawrence AB, Hall JB, Middleton KM, Thomas J, Alsharafi A, Weiss S, Guess TM, Ward CV. Effects of hip joint orientation and skeletal torsion on human locomotor biomechanics: Implications for interpretations of hominin locomotor diversity. American Association of Biological Anthropologists 2024 Annual Meeting. (podium)

Lawrence AB, Hall JB, Middleton KM, Thomas J, Alsharafi A, Weiss S, Guess TM, Ward CV. Effect of skeletal torsion on human locomotor biomechanics: Support for hominin locomotor diversity? Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2024 Annual Meeting. (podium)

Wilken AT, Lawrence AB, Prado FB, Smith AT, Rossi AC, Friere AR, Luo ZX, Ross CF. The Mammal Jaw as a Web Flange Structure: Towards a New Paradigm of Mandible Function. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2024 Annual Meeting.

Lawrence AB, Middleton KM, Hall JB, Thomas J, Guess TM, Ward CV (2023). A novel workflow to quantifying 3D skeletal anatomy of living humans for morpho-functional analysis. American Association of Biological Anthropologists 2023 Annual Meeting. (podium)