James Spuhler | |
---|---|
Born | James Norman Spuhler March 1, 1917
Tucumcari, New Mexico, US |
Died | September 2, 1992
Santa Fe, New Mexico, US | (aged 75)
Nationality | American |
Education |
University of New Mexico Harvard University |
Spouse |
Helen McKaig (
m. 1946–1992) |
Children | Derek Drake |
Awards | NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing (1990) |
Scientific career | |
Fields |
Biological anthropology Genetic anthropology |
Institutions |
Ohio State University University of Michigan University of New Mexico |
Thesis | Some Procedures in Human Genetics: A methodological study (1946) |
Doctoral advisor | Earnest Hooton |
James Norman Spuhler (March 1, 1917 – September 2, 1992) [1] was an American biological anthropologist who has been described as "the founder of anthropological genetics". [2] He taught at the University of New Mexico from 1967 to 1984, where his research focused on human genetics. [3] In 1990, he received the NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing. [2] He died of cancer at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on September 2, 1992. [1]
James Spuhler began his education at the University of New Mexico. [1] He started at the university on a football scholarship, but gave up his scholarship to focus on his education. [1] After he graduated, he was sent to China because of World War 2. [2] While in China he served as a Naval officer and learned to speak some Chinese and Japanese. [2] When he returned from the war he started at Harvard University to be trained in physical anthropology. [1] While studying at Harvard he wrote his dissertation on human genetics, which was one of the first of this topic submitted to any Department of Anthropology in the United States. [1] While he was at Harvard, genetic knowledge was not used in relation to human populations as Spuhler was the first to be trained in this field. [2] His dissertation prevented information for his two different subjects of expertise: human genetics and physical anthropology. [1] Following his Ph.D. he worked as an instructor at the Ohio State University in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. [1] Spuhler became a reviewer but never worked full time because he continued to do research in the field and laboratory. [3]
The first study we contributed to was one of his teachers, Clyde Kluckhohn. [2] Spuhler suggested a strategy of studying the nine genetic traits of the Ramah Navaho. [2] The nine traits included in the study were a secrater factor of saliva, PTC taste reaction, anterior thoracic venus patterns, color perceptions, occipital hair whorl, absence of peroneus teritus muscles, and the number of vallate papillae on the tongue. [2]
His next project was a study of racial-ethnic differences in IQ. [2] This study was completed during the academic year of 1971–1972 at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences in Palo Alto, California. [2] He and other scholars cooperatively researched the genetic and environmental variations that would account for the racial-ethnic differences in IQ. [2] The results of the study stated that the environmental and genetic differences will not always occur. [2] After this study was completed he was hired as a chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. [2] He started the first two courses with a focus of genetic anthropology in the United States, which influenced further teaching of biological anthropology. [2] The two courses were called " The Genetic Basis of Evolution" and "Population Genetics". [2]
In 1990 James Spuhler was awarded the Award of Excellence for Scientific Reviewing by the National Academy of Sciences. [3] He was given this award for his reviews that used population genetics that study anthropological questions. [3] There were a wide array of study topics including race, intelligence, language, relationships among species, and human evolution. Spuhler explains that he writes for the "general scientific public, whether citizen or professional. [3]" Over 700 publications have cited his work. [3]
James Spuhler | |
---|---|
Born | James Norman Spuhler March 1, 1917
Tucumcari, New Mexico, US |
Died | September 2, 1992
Santa Fe, New Mexico, US | (aged 75)
Nationality | American |
Education |
University of New Mexico Harvard University |
Spouse |
Helen McKaig (
m. 1946–1992) |
Children | Derek Drake |
Awards | NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing (1990) |
Scientific career | |
Fields |
Biological anthropology Genetic anthropology |
Institutions |
Ohio State University University of Michigan University of New Mexico |
Thesis | Some Procedures in Human Genetics: A methodological study (1946) |
Doctoral advisor | Earnest Hooton |
James Norman Spuhler (March 1, 1917 – September 2, 1992) [1] was an American biological anthropologist who has been described as "the founder of anthropological genetics". [2] He taught at the University of New Mexico from 1967 to 1984, where his research focused on human genetics. [3] In 1990, he received the NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing. [2] He died of cancer at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on September 2, 1992. [1]
James Spuhler began his education at the University of New Mexico. [1] He started at the university on a football scholarship, but gave up his scholarship to focus on his education. [1] After he graduated, he was sent to China because of World War 2. [2] While in China he served as a Naval officer and learned to speak some Chinese and Japanese. [2] When he returned from the war he started at Harvard University to be trained in physical anthropology. [1] While studying at Harvard he wrote his dissertation on human genetics, which was one of the first of this topic submitted to any Department of Anthropology in the United States. [1] While he was at Harvard, genetic knowledge was not used in relation to human populations as Spuhler was the first to be trained in this field. [2] His dissertation prevented information for his two different subjects of expertise: human genetics and physical anthropology. [1] Following his Ph.D. he worked as an instructor at the Ohio State University in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. [1] Spuhler became a reviewer but never worked full time because he continued to do research in the field and laboratory. [3]
The first study we contributed to was one of his teachers, Clyde Kluckhohn. [2] Spuhler suggested a strategy of studying the nine genetic traits of the Ramah Navaho. [2] The nine traits included in the study were a secrater factor of saliva, PTC taste reaction, anterior thoracic venus patterns, color perceptions, occipital hair whorl, absence of peroneus teritus muscles, and the number of vallate papillae on the tongue. [2]
His next project was a study of racial-ethnic differences in IQ. [2] This study was completed during the academic year of 1971–1972 at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences in Palo Alto, California. [2] He and other scholars cooperatively researched the genetic and environmental variations that would account for the racial-ethnic differences in IQ. [2] The results of the study stated that the environmental and genetic differences will not always occur. [2] After this study was completed he was hired as a chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. [2] He started the first two courses with a focus of genetic anthropology in the United States, which influenced further teaching of biological anthropology. [2] The two courses were called " The Genetic Basis of Evolution" and "Population Genetics". [2]
In 1990 James Spuhler was awarded the Award of Excellence for Scientific Reviewing by the National Academy of Sciences. [3] He was given this award for his reviews that used population genetics that study anthropological questions. [3] There were a wide array of study topics including race, intelligence, language, relationships among species, and human evolution. Spuhler explains that he writes for the "general scientific public, whether citizen or professional. [3]" Over 700 publications have cited his work. [3]