Primate socio-ecology, primate archaeology, human evolution, origins and evolution of technology
Research Interests: I am a third year DPhil student under the supervision of Dr. Susana Carvalho. With a background in archaeology, anthropology and primatology, my research draws upon archaeological methods to study the technology and material culture of chimpanzees, as a comparative model for the interpretation of early hominin archaeological sites and the suite of behaviours they infer. Following the paradigm of Primate Archaeology, my doctoral research focuses on chimpanzee nut-cracking in Guinea, where I am using traditional archaeological methods combined with the latest geospatial technologies to investigate the ecological parameters that are driving the selection and re-use of specific locations by chimpanzees for nut-cracking activities. With this information I hope to develop a model that can help reconstruct early hominin landscape use and ranging patterns. Ultimately, I want to find out how our ancestors interacted with their landscape, how they made decisions about resource exploitation, and the conditions that led to the emergence of technology in the hominin lineage.
Previous Education
Master of Science (MSc) in Human Evolution and Behaviour, UCL (2015)
Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Archaeological Science, University of Sheffield (2013)
Awards
Early Careers Grant – The National Geographic Society (2018)
The Boise Trust Fund Award – University of Oxford (2017)
The Boise Trust Fund Award – University of Oxford (2016)
Foundation for Science and Technology Ph.D. scholarship – FCT, Portugal (2016)
Dean’s List for Academic Excellence – Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences, UCL (2015)
Daryll Forde Studentship – Department of Anthropology, UCL (2014)
Kay Harvey Prize in Archaeological Science – Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield (2013)
Emily Willey Prize in Archaeology and Prehistory - Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield (2013)
Publications
Carvalho, S., Almeida-Warren, K. (in press) Primate Archaeology. Encyclopaedia of Animal Behaviour 2nd Edition. Academic Press.
Almeida-Warren, K., Sommer, V., Piel, A. and Pascual-Garrido, A. (2017) Raw material procurement for termite fishing tools by wild chimpanzees in the Issa valley, western Tanzania. Am J Phys Anthropol, 164(2): 292-304.
Presentations
Almeida-Warren, K., Braun, D. R., Matsuzawa, T., Carvalho, S. (2018) Mapping primate archaeology: new tools for standardizing spatial data collection across the primate order. Poster session. XXVII International Primatological Society Congress, Nairobi 2018.
Almeida-Warren, K., Braun, D. R., Regala, F. T., Curley, A., Matsuzawa, T., Carvalho, S. (2018) The ecology of chimpanzee technology: new approaches for modelling early hominin ranging patterns and resource exploitation. Podium presentation. XXVII International Primatological Society Congress, Nairobi 2018.
Almeida-Warren, K. (2016) Thinking about a snack: How wild chimpanzees obtain raw materials for termite fishing tools. Inaugural MRC Research Conference, November 26, 2016. Magdalen College, Oxford.
Pascual-Garrido, A., Sommer, V. and Almeida-Warren, K. (2016) Raw material procurement for termite fishing tools in wild chimpanzees. PeerJ Preprints 4:e1844v1
Almeida-Warren, K. and Pascual-Garrido, A. (2015) Raw material procurement for termite fishing tools in wild chimpanzees. Unpublished poster presentation at: 10th TAWIRI Scientific Conference. December 2, 2015. Arusha, Tanzania.
Email: katarina.almeida-warren@anthro.ox.ac.uk
