Robert C. McCarthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Office: SO 173, Phone: 561-297-1355, E-Mail: rmccar10@fau.edu

Ph.D., George Washington University, 2004
M. Phil., George Washington University, 2000
B.A. Rutgers University, 1996

In my research, I am trying to figure out how skulls are put together.  My dissertation work demonstrated that integration between parts of the brain, cranial base and face limits skull form in primates, and humans in particular.  These constraints have many "down-the-line" consequences.

First, the head and neck surround the speech apparatus, and the uniquely-shaped  modern human skull sets up a vocal tract capable of housing a long, descended tongue with the ability to form vowels such as [i] ("see"), [a] ("saw") and [u] ("sue").  I have recently reconstructed vocal tracts for Neanderthals and other extinct humans, and, in combination with Dr. Philip Lieberman from Brown University, have succeeded in synthesizing Neanderthal speech sounds.

A second consequences of cranial reorganization is that space in the face is at a premium.  Teeth cannot erupt into the jaws until sufficient space opens up, and so delays in tooth crown mineralization and eruption in modern humans may be related to how small our faces are and how slowly they grow.  Several ongoing projects are testing the extent to which brains, faces and teeth affect one another during hominin evolution.

Finally, characters in the skull used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships are unlikely to be independent from one antoehr since the skull is put together like a jigsaw puzzle.  I am currently working on applying techniques from evolutionary developmental biology ("evo-devo") to address this issue.

Recent News and Interviews

• Neanderthals speak out after 30,000 years.  New Scientist April 15 2008.
• Grunt work:  Scientists recreate Neanderthal speech. Discovery Channel Online April 16, 2008.
• Speech easy, even for a caveman? Palm Beach Post April 17, 2008.
• Interview on Neanderthal speech with Bob McDonald featured on Quirks and Quarks April 19, 2008.
• Interview on Neanderthal speech featured on Earth and Sky April 28, 2008

Teaching
Anthropology, Evolution and Creationism; Biological Anthropology; Forensic Anthropology; Graduate Seminar in Biological Anthropology; Human Evolution; Human Variation; Language and Cognition; Primate Behavior

Research
Evolution of human speech and language; growth and development of the skull in primates and hominins; geometric morphometrics; comparative methods and primate life history

Selected and Forthcoming Publications
2008  McCarthy, R. C., Strait, D.S., Yates, F.W. and P. Lieberman.  A recent origin for fully modern human speech capabilities.  Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences USA (in revision).

2008  McCarthy, R. C. Paleoanthropological evidence for the evolution of speech and language. Evolutionary Anthropology (submitted for review).

2007  Lieberman, P. and R. C. McCarthy.  Tracking the evolution of language and speech:  Comparing vocal tracts to identify speech capabilities.  Expedition 49: 15-20.

2001 McCarthy, R. C. Anthropoid cranial base architecture and scaling relationships. Journal of Human Evolution 40: 41-66.

2001  McCarthy, R. C. and D. E. Lieberman. Posterior maxillary (PM) plane and anterior cranial architecture in primates. Anatomical Record 264: 247-260.

2001  Lieberman, D. E., McCarthy, R. C., Hiiemae, K.M. and J.B. Palmer. The ontogeny of postnatal hyoid and larynx descent in humans. Archives of Oral Biology 46: 117-128.

1999  Lieberman,, D.E. and R.C. McCarthy.  The ontogeny of cranial base angulation in humans versus chimpanzees and its implications for reconstructing pharyngeal dimensions. Journal of Human Evolution 36: 487-517.