Caspari, Rachel

Books and Monographs:

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (1997)  Race and Human Evolution.  New York: Simon and Schuster.  ISBN 0-684-81013-1; Paperback edition, 1998 Westview Press, ISBN 0-81-333546-9. A Canadian National Institute for the Blind talking book RC18623 (4 cassettes, narrated by Roy Avers).  Recipient of the 1999 W.W. Howells Book Prize in Biological Anthropology, presented by the Biological Anthropology Section of the American Anthropological Association.

Peer-reviewed journal articles:

Jeste, D.V. E.E. Lee, C. Cassidy, R. Caspari, P. Gagneux, D.Glorioso, B.L Miller, K.Semendeferi, C. Vogler, H. Nusbaum, D. Blazer (2019) New Science of Practical Wisdom. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 62 (2):216-236

Caspari, R (2018) Race, Then and Now: 1918 Revisited. Centennial Anniversary Issue. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 165(4):924-938.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (2014) The Origin of modern East Asians. Acta Anthropologica Sinica 32(4):377-410.

Caspari, R., and M.H. Wolpoff (2012) The Dubois syndrome.  In Richard G. Delisle (ed.): Human Evolution: An Agenda for History, Philosophy, and Social Studies.  History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences 34:51-60.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (2012) How did modern humans originate?  General Anthropology 19(2): 1–6.

Caspari, R. (2009) 1918: Three perspectives on race and human variation. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 139:5-15.

Caspari, R. (2006) The Krapina occipital bones. Periodicum Biologorum 108(3):299-307. Reprinted in J. Monge, A. Mann, D. Frayer, J. Radovčić  (eds):  New Insights on the Krapina Neandertals: 100 Years Since Gorjanović-Kramberger. Croatian Natural History Museum, Zagreb.  Pp. 65-73. (2008).

Caspari, R., and S-H Lee (2006) Is human longevity a consequence of cultural change or modern human biology? American Journal of Physical Anthropology 129:512-517.

Caspari, R., and J. Radovčić (2006) A new reconstruction of Krapina 5, a male Neandertal cranial vault from Krapina, Croatia. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 130:294-307.

Wolpoff M.H. and R. Caspari (2006) Does Krapina reflect early Neandertal paleodemography?. Periodicum Biologorum 108 (4): 425-432. Reprinted in J. Monge, A. Mann, D. Frayer, J. Radovčić  (eds):  New Insights on the Krapina Neandertals: 100 Years Since Gorjanović-Kramberger.  Croatian Natural History Museum, Zagreb.  Pp. 191-198. (2008).

Caspari, R. and S-H Lee (2005) Taxonomy and longevity. Journal of Human Evolution 49: 646-649.

Caspari, R. and S-H Lee (2005) Are OY ratios invariant? Journal of Human Evolution 49: 654-659.

Caspari, R. (2005) The suprainiac fossa: the question of homology. Anthropologie XLIII/2-3: 251-261.

Caspari, R. and S-H Lee (2004) Older age becomes common late in human evolution. Proc. Natl. Acad Sci. USA 101:10895-10900. (Subject of that issue's commentary by Rosenberg, K (2004) Living longer: Information revolution, population expansion, and modern human origins. Proc. Natl. Acad, Sci. USA 101:10847-10848. Editor's Choice for Science: Hanson, B. Ancient silver generations? Science 305: 312)

Wolpoff, M.H., B. Mannheim, A. Mann, J. Hawks, R. Caspari, K.R. Rosenberg, D.W. Frayer, G.W. Gill, and G.A. Clark (2004): Why Not the Neandertals?  World Archaeology 36(4):527-546.

Caspari, R.  (2003) From types to populations: A century of race, physical anthropology and the American Anthropological Association. American Anthropologist 105(1):63-74.

Caspari, R. (2002) Its Gotta Walk the Walk: Making Sense of the Newly Reported Sahelanthropus tchadensis fossil remains from Chad.  General Anthropology 9:1-10.

Baragi, R.,  J.O.L. DeLancey, R. Caspari, D.H. Howard and J.A. Ashton-Miller (2002) Differences in pelvic floor area between African American and European American Women. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 187(1):111-115.

Wolpoff, M.H., J. Hawks and R. Caspari (2000) Multiregional, not multiple origins.  American Journal of Physical Anthropology 112(1):129-136

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (2000) The many species of humanity. Przeglad Anthropologiczny (Anthropological Review) 63(1):3-17.

Caspari, R. (1997) La Diversite Humaine, fruit d'echanges continus.  La Recherche 302:74-81, October, 1997.

Caspari, R. (1997) Evidence of pathology on the frontal bone from Gongwangling. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 102(4):565-568.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (1996) The modernity mess.  Journal of Human Evolution 30(2): 167-172

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (1996) An unparalleled parallelism.  Anthropologie 34(1-2):155-164.

Caspari, R. and M.H. Wolpoff (1996) Coon and Weidenreich.  Human Evolution 11(3-4): 261-268.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (1990) On Middle Paleolithic/Middle Stone Age hominid taxonomy.  Current Anthropology 31(4): 394-395

Peer-reviewed book chapters and conference proceedings:

Caspari, R. (2018). Race: conceptual history in The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology, Wenda Trevathan (ed).  John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Caspari, R. (2018). Blumenbach, Johann Friedrich in The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology, Wenda Trevathan (ed).  John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Caspari, R. (2018). Polygenism. in The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology, Wenda Trevathan (ed).  John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Rosenberg, KR and Caspari, R. (2018) Leakey, M in The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology, Wenda Trevathan (ed).  John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Rosenberg, KR. and Caspari, R. (2018) Leakey, LSB in The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology, Wenda Trevathan (ed).  John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Caspari, R., K.R. Rosenberg and M.H. Wolpoff  (2017) Brother or Other?

In: Paleontology and Prehistory: Contributions in Honor of Yoel Rak. A. Marom and E. Hovers (eds). Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology Series. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Publishing, pp. 253-271

Caspari, R.  (2014) Modeling Prehistoric Life Histories: Archaic Survivorship Patterns and Their Implications. In A.P. Derevianko and M.V. Shunkov (eds.): Cultural Developments in the Eurasian Paleolithic and the Origin of Anatomically Modern Humans. Proceedings of the International Symposium (July 1-7, 2014, Denisova Cave, Altai), Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk. pp. 13-20.

Caspari, R. and M.H. Wolpoff (2013) The process of modern human origins: the evolutionary and demographic changes giving rise to modern humans. In: Origins of Modern Humans: Biology Reconsidered. F.H. Smith and J C.M.Ahern (eds). John Wiley & Sons. pp. 355-390.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (2013) Paleoanthropology and race. In: A Companion to Paleoanthropology. D. Begun (ed) Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 321-338.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (2011) Neandertals and the roots of human recency. In: S. Comdemi and G. Weniger (eds). 150 Years of Neandertal Discoveries: Continuity and Discontinuity, Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology Delson and MacPhee (eds) . Springer. pp. 367-377.

Caspari, R. (2010) Race and geographic variation conflated: an impediment to teaching human biology. In: Teaching Human Variation: Issues, Trends and Challenges. Nova Science Publishers. pp 43-59

Caspari, R. (2010) Deconstructing race: race, racial thinking and geographic variation. In: A Companion to Biological Anthropology. C. Larsen (ed) Wiley-Blackwell, pp 104-122.

Caspari, R. (2008) The Krapina Occipital Bones. In J. Monge, A. Mann, D. Frayer, J. Radovčić  (eds):  New Insights on the Krapina Neandertals: 100 Years Since Gorjanović-Kramberger.  Croatian Natural History Museum, Zagreb.  Pp. 65-73. (Reprint of Caspari, 2006).

Wolpoff M.H. and R. Caspari (2008) Does Krapina reflect early Neandertal paleodemography?. In J. Monge, A. Mann, D. Frayer, J. Radovčić  (eds):  New Insights on the Krapina Neandertals: 100 Years Since Gorjanović-Kramberger.  Croatian Natural History Museum, Zagreb.  Pp. 191-198. (Reprint of Wolpoff and Caspari, 2006).

Caspari, R. (2007) The "Out of Africa" hypothesis. In: John H. Moore (ed). The Encyclopedia of Race and Racism. Volume 2. Detroit: Gale (Macmillan Reference USA) pp. 391-397.

Caspari, R., and M.H. Wolpoff  (2005) Origines et diversité.  L'évolution multirégionale de l'espèce humaine.  Krisis: Revue d'Idées et de Débats. Origine? (ed. Alain de Benoist) 27:117-128.

Caspari, R. (2002) Race, Ethnogenese et Significations de la Modernite.  In: L. F. Rastier et S. Bouquet (eds). Une introduction aux sciences de la culture. Paris, Presses Universitaire de France. Pp 49-79.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (1997) What Does it Mean to be Modern?  In G.A. Clark and C.M. Willermet    (eds.): Conceptual Issues in Modern Human Origins Research.  Aldine de Gruyter, New York.  pp.  28-44, and combined bibliography on pp. 437-492.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (1996) Why aren't Neandertals modern?  In O. Bar-Yosef, L.L. Cavelli-Sforza, R.J. March, and M. Piperno (eds): The Lower and Middle Paleolithic.  Colloquium X: The Origin of Modern Man.  Colloquia of the XIII International Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences. A.B.A.C.O., Forli. Pp. 133-156.

Caspari, R. and  M.H. Wolpoff  (1995) The Pattern of Human Evolution. In: Man and the Environment in the Paleolithic, edited by H. Ullrich. Études et Recherches Archéologiques de l'Université Liège 62:19-27.

Invited Public Interest Articles:

Caspari, R. (2016) The Evolution of Grandparents. Scientific American Special

Collector's Edition, The Story of Us, 25(4):82-85. Revised edition of Caspari 2011, 305:44-49 for special edition: The Story of Us.

Caspari, R. (2013) The Evolution of Grandparents. Scientific American Special  22(1):38-43. Revised edition of Caspari, 2011, Scientific American, 305:44-49 for special edition: What Makes Us Human?

Caspari, R. (2011) The Evolution of Grandparents. Scientific American. 305(2):44-49.

Caspari, R and M.H. Wolpoff (2001) Race, Culture and Human Evolution. Fathom Knowledge Network web feature.

Caspari, R. and M.H. Wolpoff (1998) Race and Human Evolution LSA Magazine The University of Michigan 22(1): 12-18.

Caspari, R. (1994)   M. Leakey.  Encyclopedia of World Biography. Pp.222-223 Carried forward in future editions.

Caspari, R. (1994 )  R. Leakey.  Encyclopedia of World Biography. Pp. 224-225 Carried forward in future editions.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (1986)  Article on the Leakey Family.  Encyclopedia Americana, 1986 Edition 17:114-115.  Carried forward in future editions.

Selected Book Reviews, Newsletters, Letters:

Caspari, R (2014) A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History by N. Wade (Book review) American Anthropologist 116 (4):896-897.

Caspari, R and T. Turner (2006) Ethics of Property and Biological anthropology. Anthropology News 47(2): 27-28.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (2002) Letter to the Editor The Human Nature Review 2:297.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (1999) Letter to the Editor, Evolutionary Anthropology 8(1):10

Caspari, R. and M.H. Wolpoff (1998) Review of "History of Physical Anthropology: An Encyclopedia (two volumes)", edited by Frank Spencer. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 106(3):405-406.

Wolpoff, M.H., A.E. Mann and R. Caspari (1997) Don't Bring Politics Into Neanderthal Debate.  The New York Times Letters (8/2/97), reprinted in Almquist, A.J. (ed) Contemporary Readings in Physical Anthropology. Upper Saddle New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 2000 pp. 148-149

Caspari, R.  (1996) Men Among the Mammoths (Book review).  American Journal of Physical Anthropology 100:149-152.

Selected Refereed Abstracts:

Begun, D., R. Caspari, K. Galdes, R. Bokhari and S. A. Goldstein (2011) Advanced methods in analysis of dental remains. (abstract) American Journal of Physical Anthropology (supplement 52): 86.

Caspari, R. S-H Lee and A. Van Arsdale (2010) Implications of reduced mortality risk for late Pleistocene humans. (abstract) American Journal of Physical Anthropology (supplement 50): 79.

Caspari, R., J. A. Meganck, J. Radovčić, D. Begun, T. Kroll and S.A. Goldstein (2009) Assessing age at death in adult dentitions: a new approach using three-dimensional microcomputed tomography and its application to fossil samples. (abstract) American Journal of Physical anthropology (supplement 48):104.

Lee, S-H and R.Caspari (2009) Extracting adult survivorship information from fossil samples: the uses and limitations of OY ratios. (abstract) American Journal of Physical anthropology (supplement 48): 173.

Caspari, R.  J.A. Meganck, J. Radovčić, J. DeSilva, and S.A. Goldstein (2007) Assessing adult age at death in Neandertal dental remains: Preliminary applications of a new approach using three-dimensional micro-computed tomography. (abstract) PaleoAnthropology 2007:A-6.

Caspari, R. and S-H Lee (2005) Longevity in the Middle Paleolithic: Did modern humans live longer than Neandertals? (abstract) American Journal of Physical Anthropology (supplement 40): 85.

Caspari, R. and S-H Lee (2004) Longevity and the evolution of modernity (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropology (supplement 38): 73-74.

Chiang, Fang-Yi and R. Caspari (2004) An analysis of variation in early Indonesian hominids. (abstract). American Journal of Physical anthropology (supplement 38):74-75.

Caspari R. (2001) Species concepts, populations and evolutionary models in paleoanthropology (abstract) American Journal of Physical Anthropology (supplement 32): 48.

Frayer, D. W., J. Hawks and R. Caspari (2000) Population structure in late Pleistocene and recent Europeans. (Abstract)  American Journal of Physical Anthropology (supplement 30):152-153

Caspari, R and J. Hawks (1999) Changes in population structure in late Pleistocene Eurasians. (Abstract) American Journal of Physical Anthropology (supplement 28): 103

Caspari, R. (1996) The development of the suprainiac fossa. American Journal of Physical Anthropology (supplement 22):81-82.

Caspari, R. and  M.H. Wolpoff (1995) Weidenreich and Coon: Intellectual Continuity or Independent Origins?  (abstract ) American Journal of Physical Anthropology Supplement 20:73.       

Caspari, R. (1993) A functional explanation for the suprainiac fossa (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropology (Supplement) 16:68

Caspari, R. (1992)   Skeletal Reflections of Increased Mobility in the Central European Upper Paleolithic (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropology (Supplement) 14:58.

Caspari, R. (1991)   Functional and Behavioral Implications of Occipital Variation in the European Upper Pleistocene (abstract).  American Journal of Physical Anthropology (Supplement) 12:57-58.

Wolpoff, M.H., D.W. Frayer and R. Caspari (1991)  Form and Function: Fact or Fiction? (abstract).  American Journal of Physical Anthropology (Supplement) 12:186.

Caspari, R. and  M.H. Wolpoff  (1990) The morphological affinities of the Klasies River Mouth skeletal remains (abstract).  American Journal of Physical Anthropology 81(2):203.

Wolpoff, M.H. and R. Caspari (1990)  Metric analysis of the skeletal material from Klasies River Mouth, Republic of South Africa (abstract).  American Journal of Physical Anthropology 81(2):319.

Caspari, R. (1989) Nuchal morphology of central European Neandertals and early Upper Paleolithic populations (abstract).  American Journal of Physical Anthropology 76:203.

Caspari, R. and J. Radovčić (1987)  A new reconstruction of the Krapina D skull and a comparison with male western European Neandertals (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropology 72:244.

Caspari, R. (1986) Gigantopithecus blacki molar size as a taxonomic indicator (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropology 69:186.

Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Michigan, 1991

M.A., Anthropology, University of Michigan, 1987

B.A., Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, 1985

Origin of modern humans

Upper Pleistocene paleoanthropology

Evolution of longevity

Race and Racism

 Member, American Anthropological Association
 Life Member, American Association of Physical Anthropologists
 Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science 
 Member, Paleoanthropology Society
 Member, Center for Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA)