Courtney A Hofman
Biographic Data
| ID | 88526 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Courtney A Hofman |
| GIVEN NAMES | Courtney A |
| FAMILY NAME | Hofman |
| SIGNATURE | HOFMAN C A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Oklahoma |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6808-3370 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 41 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
The Oral Microbiome of King Richard III of England
Ethical futures in biological anthropology
Although ethical reforms in biological anthropology have gained ground in recent years, there is still a scarcity of ethical standards for work involving historical documented collections (HDCs) at US museums and universities. These collections of deceased individuals were created in the late 19th to mid‐20th centuries under anatomy laws that targeted socially marginalized communities and allowed for the dissection of these individuals without th…
Ancient DNA and paleoproteomic analysis on Roman Imperial-era individuals from Histria, Romania
Do I have something in my teeth? The trouble with genetic analyses of diet from archaeological dental calculus
Dental calculus and other preserved microbiome substrates are an attractive target for dietary reconstruction in past populations through a variety of physical, chemical, and molecular means. Recently, studies have attempted to reconstruct diet from archaeological dental calculus using archaeogenetic techniques. While dental calculus may provide a relatively stable environment for DNA preservation, the detection of plants and animals possibly con…
Coring, profiling, and trenching
Archaeologists have long emphasized the importance of large-scale excavations and multi-year or even decades-long projects at a single site or site complex. Here, we highlight archaeological field strategies, termed coring, profiling, and trenching (CPT), that rely on relatively small-scale excavations or the collection of new samples from intact deposits in previously excavated trenches (aka test units or pits). Examples from multiple sites in A…
Cultural Keystone Places and the Chumash Landscapes of Kumqaq', Point Conception, California
The places in which people live and spend time are steeped in history, memory, and meaning from the intersection of daily life, environmental interactions, cultural practices, and ritual. Geologic features, plants, animals, and ecosystems merge with these cultural histories, forming critical parts of the landscape and areas of 'high cultural salience,' or 'cultural keystone places' (CKPs). We identify Kumqaq' (Point Conception) and the surroundin…
Green or white? Morphology, ancient DNA, and the identification of archaeological North American Pacific Coast sturgeon
Historical Anatomical Collections of Human Remains
We synthesize how the tools of molecular anthropology, integrated with analyses of skeletal material, can provide direct insights into the context-specific experiences of racial structural violence in the past. Our work-which is emblematic of how biological anthropologists are increasingly interested in exploring the embodied effects of structural and race-based violence-reveals how anthropology can illuminate past lived experiences that are othe…
A unified protocol for simultaneous extraction of DNA and proteins from archaeological dental calculus
Archaeological materials are a finite resource, and efforts should be made to minimize destructive analyses. This can be achieved by using protocols combining extraction of several types of biomolecules or microparticles, which decreases the material needed for analyses while maximizing the information yield. Archaeological dental calculus is a source of several different types of biomolecules, as well as microfossils, and can tell us about the h…
Comparison of extraction methods for recovering ancient microbial DNA from paleofeces
OBJECTIVES: Paleofeces are valuable to archeologists and evolutionary biologists for their potential to yield health, dietary, and host information. As a rich source of preserved biomolecules from host-associated microorganisms, they can also provide insights into the recent evolution and changing ecology of the gut microbiome. However, there is currently no standard method for DNA extraction from paleofeces, which combine the dual challenges of …
A chomped chimp
OBJECTIVES: To describe and interpret previously unreported marks on the dry cranium of an adult chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) from Côte d'Ivoire at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (USNM 450071). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All marks on the cranium were documented and assessed through physical examination of the specimen, photography, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and 3D laser scanning. Pits and punctures were measure…
The efficacy of whole human genome capture on ancient dental calculus and dentin
OBJECTIVES: Dental calculus is among the richest known sources of ancient DNA in the archaeological record. Although most DNA within calculus is microbial, it has been shown to contain sufficient human DNA for the targeted retrieval of whole mitochondrial genomes. Here, we explore whether calculus is also a viable substrate for whole human genome recovery using targeted enrichment techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total DNA extracted from 24 pai…
Ancient Biological Invasions and Island Ecosystems
Biological invasions are one of the great threats to Earth’s ecosystems and biodiversity in the Anthropocene. However, species introductions and invasions extend deep into the human past, with the translocation of both wild and domestic species around the world. Here, we review the human translocation of wild plants and animals to the world’s islands. We focus on establishing criteria used to differentiate natural from human-assisted dispersals a…
A tale of two mice
Rats and mice are among the most successful mammals on earth, with some of these species thriving in and around human settlements or areas disturbed by human activities. Here, we present morphological, taphonomic, and chronological data on two mice ( Peromyscus nesodytes [extinct] and P. maniculatus [extant]) from a trans-Holocene sequence at Daisy Cave, San Miguel Island, California. We explore the colonization history of each species, species a…
Archaeology and Invasive Species Management
Successful enrichment and recovery of whole mitochondrial genomes from ancient human dental calculus
OBJECTIVES: Archaeological dental calculus is a rich source of host-associated biomolecules. Importantly, however, dental calculus is more accurately described as a calcified microbial biofilm than a host tissue. As such, concerns regarding destructive analysis of human remains may not apply as strongly to dental calculus, opening the possibility of obtaining human health and ancestry information from dental calculus in cases where destructive an…
The Dogs of CA-SRI-2
Domesticated dogs (Canis familiaris) are an important human companion around the world and have long been a focus of archaeological research. Osteometric analysis of six dogs from a Late Holocene Chumash village on Santa Rosa Island, California indicates that adults, juvenile/young adults, and a puppy were present. Similar to dogs on other Channel Islands, these dogs fall into the large Indian dog category, standing some 43-54 cm tall, with mesat…
Flightless ducks, giant mice and pygmy mammoths
Explanations for the extinction of Late Quaternary megafauna are heavily debated, ranging from human overkill to climate change, disease and extraterrestrial impacts. Synthesis and analysis of Late Quaternary animal extinctions on California's Channel Islands suggest that, despite supporting Native American populations for some 13,000 years, few mammal, bird or other species are known to have gone extinct during the prehistoric human era, and mos…
Ancient Biological Invasions and Island Ecosystems
Biological invasions are one of the great threats to Earth’s ecosystems and biodiversity in the Anthropocene. However, species introductions and invasions extend deep into the human past, with the translocation of both wild and domestic species around the world. Here, we review the human translocation of wild plants and animals to the world’s islands. We focus on establishing criteria used to differentiate natural from human-assisted dispersals a…
Historical Anatomical Collections of Human Remains
We synthesize how the tools of molecular anthropology, integrated with analyses of skeletal material, can provide direct insights into the context-specific experiences of racial structural violence in the past. Our work-which is emblematic of how biological anthropologists are increasingly interested in exploring the embodied effects of structural and race-based violence-reveals how anthropology can illuminate past lived experiences that are othe…
Flightless ducks, giant mice and pygmy mammoths
Explanations for the extinction of Late Quaternary megafauna are heavily debated, ranging from human overkill to climate change, disease and extraterrestrial impacts. Synthesis and analysis of Late Quaternary animal extinctions on California's Channel Islands suggest that, despite supporting Native American populations for some 13,000 years, few mammal, bird or other species are known to have gone extinct during the prehistoric human era, and mos…
Cultural Keystone Places and the Chumash Landscapes of Kumqaq', Point Conception, California
The places in which people live and spend time are steeped in history, memory, and meaning from the intersection of daily life, environmental interactions, cultural practices, and ritual. Geologic features, plants, animals, and ecosystems merge with these cultural histories, forming critical parts of the landscape and areas of 'high cultural salience,' or 'cultural keystone places' (CKPs). We identify Kumqaq' (Point Conception) and the surroundin…
Successful enrichment and recovery of whole mitochondrial genomes from ancient human dental calculus
OBJECTIVES: Archaeological dental calculus is a rich source of host-associated biomolecules. Importantly, however, dental calculus is more accurately described as a calcified microbial biofilm than a host tissue. As such, concerns regarding destructive analysis of human remains may not apply as strongly to dental calculus, opening the possibility of obtaining human health and ancestry information from dental calculus in cases where destructive an…
A unified protocol for simultaneous extraction of DNA and proteins from archaeological dental calculus
Archaeological materials are a finite resource, and efforts should be made to minimize destructive analyses. This can be achieved by using protocols combining extraction of several types of biomolecules or microparticles, which decreases the material needed for analyses while maximizing the information yield. Archaeological dental calculus is a source of several different types of biomolecules, as well as microfossils, and can tell us about the h…
Comparison of extraction methods for recovering ancient microbial DNA from paleofeces
OBJECTIVES: Paleofeces are valuable to archeologists and evolutionary biologists for their potential to yield health, dietary, and host information. As a rich source of preserved biomolecules from host-associated microorganisms, they can also provide insights into the recent evolution and changing ecology of the gut microbiome. However, there is currently no standard method for DNA extraction from paleofeces, which combine the dual challenges of …
The efficacy of whole human genome capture on ancient dental calculus and dentin
OBJECTIVES: Dental calculus is among the richest known sources of ancient DNA in the archaeological record. Although most DNA within calculus is microbial, it has been shown to contain sufficient human DNA for the targeted retrieval of whole mitochondrial genomes. Here, we explore whether calculus is also a viable substrate for whole human genome recovery using targeted enrichment techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total DNA extracted from 24 pai…
The Dogs of CA-SRI-2
Domesticated dogs (Canis familiaris) are an important human companion around the world and have long been a focus of archaeological research. Osteometric analysis of six dogs from a Late Holocene Chumash village on Santa Rosa Island, California indicates that adults, juvenile/young adults, and a puppy were present. Similar to dogs on other Channel Islands, these dogs fall into the large Indian dog category, standing some 43-54 cm tall, with mesat…
A tale of two mice
Rats and mice are among the most successful mammals on earth, with some of these species thriving in and around human settlements or areas disturbed by human activities. Here, we present morphological, taphonomic, and chronological data on two mice ( Peromyscus nesodytes [extinct] and P. maniculatus [extant]) from a trans-Holocene sequence at Daisy Cave, San Miguel Island, California. We explore the colonization history of each species, species a…
Flightless ducks, giant mice and pygmy mammoths
Explanations for the extinction of Late Quaternary megafauna are heavily debated, ranging from human overkill to climate change, disease and extraterrestrial impacts. Synthesis and analysis of Late Quaternary animal extinctions on California's Channel Islands suggest that, despite supporting Native American populations for some 13,000 years, few mammal, bird or other species are known to have gone extinct during the prehistoric human era, and mos…
The Dogs of CA-SRI-2
Domesticated dogs (Canis familiaris) are an important human companion around the world and have long been a focus of archaeological research. Osteometric analysis of six dogs from a Late Holocene Chumash village on Santa Rosa Island, California indicates that adults, juvenile/young adults, and a puppy were present. Similar to dogs on other Channel Islands, these dogs fall into the large Indian dog category, standing some 43-54 cm tall, with mesat…
Archaeology and Invasive Species Management
Successful enrichment and recovery of whole mitochondrial genomes from ancient human dental calculus
OBJECTIVES: Archaeological dental calculus is a rich source of host-associated biomolecules. Importantly, however, dental calculus is more accurately described as a calcified microbial biofilm than a host tissue. As such, concerns regarding destructive analysis of human remains may not apply as strongly to dental calculus, opening the possibility of obtaining human health and ancestry information from dental calculus in cases where destructive an…
Ancient Biological Invasions and Island Ecosystems
Biological invasions are one of the great threats to Earth’s ecosystems and biodiversity in the Anthropocene. However, species introductions and invasions extend deep into the human past, with the translocation of both wild and domestic species around the world. Here, we review the human translocation of wild plants and animals to the world’s islands. We focus on establishing criteria used to differentiate natural from human-assisted dispersals a…
A tale of two mice
Rats and mice are among the most successful mammals on earth, with some of these species thriving in and around human settlements or areas disturbed by human activities. Here, we present morphological, taphonomic, and chronological data on two mice ( Peromyscus nesodytes [extinct] and P. maniculatus [extant]) from a trans-Holocene sequence at Daisy Cave, San Miguel Island, California. We explore the colonization history of each species, species a…
The efficacy of whole human genome capture on ancient dental calculus and dentin
OBJECTIVES: Dental calculus is among the richest known sources of ancient DNA in the archaeological record. Although most DNA within calculus is microbial, it has been shown to contain sufficient human DNA for the targeted retrieval of whole mitochondrial genomes. Here, we explore whether calculus is also a viable substrate for whole human genome recovery using targeted enrichment techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total DNA extracted from 24 pai…
A unified protocol for simultaneous extraction of DNA and proteins from archaeological dental calculus
Archaeological materials are a finite resource, and efforts should be made to minimize destructive analyses. This can be achieved by using protocols combining extraction of several types of biomolecules or microparticles, which decreases the material needed for analyses while maximizing the information yield. Archaeological dental calculus is a source of several different types of biomolecules, as well as microfossils, and can tell us about the h…
Comparison of extraction methods for recovering ancient microbial DNA from paleofeces
OBJECTIVES: Paleofeces are valuable to archeologists and evolutionary biologists for their potential to yield health, dietary, and host information. As a rich source of preserved biomolecules from host-associated microorganisms, they can also provide insights into the recent evolution and changing ecology of the gut microbiome. However, there is currently no standard method for DNA extraction from paleofeces, which combine the dual challenges of …
A chomped chimp
OBJECTIVES: To describe and interpret previously unreported marks on the dry cranium of an adult chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) from Côte d'Ivoire at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (USNM 450071). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All marks on the cranium were documented and assessed through physical examination of the specimen, photography, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and 3D laser scanning. Pits and punctures were measure…
Green or white? Morphology, ancient DNA, and the identification of archaeological North American Pacific Coast sturgeon
Historical Anatomical Collections of Human Remains
We synthesize how the tools of molecular anthropology, integrated with analyses of skeletal material, can provide direct insights into the context-specific experiences of racial structural violence in the past. Our work-which is emblematic of how biological anthropologists are increasingly interested in exploring the embodied effects of structural and race-based violence-reveals how anthropology can illuminate past lived experiences that are othe…
Coring, profiling, and trenching
Archaeologists have long emphasized the importance of large-scale excavations and multi-year or even decades-long projects at a single site or site complex. Here, we highlight archaeological field strategies, termed coring, profiling, and trenching (CPT), that rely on relatively small-scale excavations or the collection of new samples from intact deposits in previously excavated trenches (aka test units or pits). Examples from multiple sites in A…
Cultural Keystone Places and the Chumash Landscapes of Kumqaq', Point Conception, California
The places in which people live and spend time are steeped in history, memory, and meaning from the intersection of daily life, environmental interactions, cultural practices, and ritual. Geologic features, plants, animals, and ecosystems merge with these cultural histories, forming critical parts of the landscape and areas of 'high cultural salience,' or 'cultural keystone places' (CKPs). We identify Kumqaq' (Point Conception) and the surroundin…
Do I have something in my teeth? The trouble with genetic analyses of diet from archaeological dental calculus
Dental calculus and other preserved microbiome substrates are an attractive target for dietary reconstruction in past populations through a variety of physical, chemical, and molecular means. Recently, studies have attempted to reconstruct diet from archaeological dental calculus using archaeogenetic techniques. While dental calculus may provide a relatively stable environment for DNA preservation, the detection of plants and animals possibly con…
Ethical futures in biological anthropology
Although ethical reforms in biological anthropology have gained ground in recent years, there is still a scarcity of ethical standards for work involving historical documented collections (HDCs) at US museums and universities. These collections of deceased individuals were created in the late 19th to mid‐20th centuries under anatomy laws that targeted socially marginalized communities and allowed for the dissection of these individuals without th…
Ancient DNA and paleoproteomic analysis on Roman Imperial-era individuals from Histria, Romania
The Oral Microbiome of King Richard III of England
Archaeology (12 works) · Biology (10 works) · Geography (10 works) · Ecology (9 works) · Ancient DNA (8 works) · Forensic and Genetic Research (8 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (7 works) · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (5 works) · History (5 works) · Sociology (5 works)