The main objective of the Paleobiology Program is to discover the biological characteristics of early hominids. The Program includes characterization of recent populations and those of other fossil and extant primates, to serve as a fundamental reference for knowledge about the ancestors of members of the family Hominidae. The Program covers areas such as paleoecology, paleophysiology, biomechanics, paleodemography, paleodiets, paleoethology, paleogenetics, paleohistology, paleoneurology, paleopathology, and other aspects of the biology of past populations, as well as the morphological description of fossils and assessment of possible taxonomic and phylogenetic assignment. Genetic variability and its relationship to the dental phenotype is also explored.
