1. What do you study related to biodiversity (what are your research questions, what organisms do you work on)?
|
|
I basically work on deceased human populations through archaeology. In regard to biodiversity, I am interested in the long-term relationship between people and their landscape/environment, particularly in Oaxaca, Mexico. I am interested in the past and present use of xerophytic plants by the inhabitants of highland Mexico.
|
2. How do you study biodiversity (for example, what technological tools and methodologies do you use in your research)?
|
|
Research is primarily conducted through archaeology and the study of archaeological collections (including botanical and faunal collections). My team also did a botanical survey of the site where we work.
|
3. Where do you study biodiversity?
|
|
I work mostly in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, but also study in Shandong, China.
|
4. How might your research have implications for biological conservation?
|
|
My work provides a baseline for the study of environmental change.
|
5. How did you become interested in science? What made you want to be a scientist, and how did you get to The Field Museum?
|
|
I have long had an interest in science and anthropology. A visit to the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City was inspirational as were a number of teachers down through the years.
|
6. Describe important collaborations for your scientific endeavors (describe your work with other researchers, organizations, or scientific groups, local or indigenous peoples, etc.)
|
|
The studies that I conduct in Mexico are undertaken in close collaboration with INAH (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia). The research in China involves close collaboration with Shandong University.
|
