Cara Ocobock
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caraocobock.bsky.social
Cara Ocobock
@caraocobock.bsky.social
Associate professor of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. Human biologist, biological anthropologist, feminist human evolution, sports enthusiast.

https://sites.nd.edu/cara-ocobock/
Pinned
Woman the hunter article just keeps making the rounds in far right circles (more than a year later). Hate mail is, & will continue to be, ever present in my life. Sadly, it’s going to get a lot worse. I stand firm by this work.

SciAm article for reference: www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
The Theory That Men Evolved to Hunt and Women Evolved to Gather Is Wrong
The influential idea that in the past men were hunters and women were not isn’t supported by the available evidence
www.scientificamerican.com
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
🎙️ New podcast episode! Chris Lynn and Courtney Manthey talk with Seth Quintus, Pacific Island archaeologist and professor at the University of Hawai‘i.
January 30, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Chilled to the bone!
January 26, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
How does language shape science, identity, and health? 🗣️🧠
Chris and Mecca talk with Dr. Cindi SturtzSreetharan about inclusive language, ethnography, masculinity, and how everyday talk produces stigma around bodies and health. 🎧 soundcloud.com/sausageofsci...
SoS 261: Inclusive language for improving our science with Cindi SturtzSreetharan
In this episode, hosts Chris and Mecca interview Dr. Cindi SturtzSreetharan about language decoding, why inclusive language matters for better science, the importance of clearly defining the terms we
soundcloud.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
Chris Lynn and Courtney Manthey talk with Dr. Kyle Wiley about how stress and trauma during pregnancy become biologically embedded, shaping maternal and infant health across generations. 🎧 soundcloud.com/sausageofsci...
SoS 262: Pregnancy Under Pressure with Dr. Kyle Wiley
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kyle Wiley, Assistant Professor of Sociology & Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso, about how social and traumatic stressors during pregnancy become bi
soundcloud.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Hear me talk about how we biologically and culturally deal with the cold on BBC CrowdScience: www.bbc.com/audio/play/w...
BBC Audio | CrowdScience | How do we adapt to the cold?
Why do people react so differently to cold weather?
www.bbc.com
December 21, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Molly Zuckerman about ethics, care, and responsibility in bioarchaeology, from restoring personhood to human remains to navigating ethical challenges in the field. 🎧 soundcloud.com/sausageofsci...
SoS 260: From Collections to Care: Ethics in Bioarchaeology with Molly Zuckerman
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Molly Zuckerman, Professor of Biological Anthropology at Mississippi State University, about ethics, care, and responsibility in bioarchaeology. We discuss her recent
soundcloud.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
Dr. Nicola Hawley bridges epidemiology, anthropology, and global health to improve maternal and child health in Sāmoa and beyond. A leader in community-engaged research! 🌺📊 soundcloud.com/sausageofsci...
SoS 259: A Culturally Adapted Health Intervention in Samoa with Nicola Hawley
Dr. Nicola Hawley is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, where she also holds a secondary appointment in Anthropology. She serves as Associate Director for Diss
soundcloud.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
Putrefied meat, maggots, and stable isotopes, oh my! 🧪💀 Cara and Chris chat with Dr. Melanie Beasley about forensic isotopes, media chaos, and the anthropology of tomorrow. 🎧 soundcloud.com/sausageofsci...
SoS 258: Maggots on the Menu: Rethinking Hominin Diet with Melanie Beasley
In this fun and “soupy” episode, hosts Cara and Chris chat with Dr. Melanie Beasley about putrefied meat, maggots, stable isotopes, and media attention at the most inconvenient times. Dr. Beasley dire
soundcloud.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:51 AM
All NSF SBE DDRIG solicitations have been archived and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Grants currently submitted will be processed, but as always, chances of funding remain very low. This means anyone aiming for the upcoming deadline will not be able to submit. 1/3
November 26, 2025 at 2:08 PM
ICYMI Notre Dame Anthropology will be hiring a post-doc for 2026-2028. This is part of a university-wide initiative to support early career scholars. Deadline is Oct. 31...sorry for late notice.

apply.interfolio.com/171503
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
October 14, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Me in Halloween form.
October 13, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
“More than half of the work done by women in the period between the 16th and 18th centuries took place outside of the home, and around half of all housework and three-quarters of care work was conducted professionally for other households” [England]

phys.org/news/2025-10...
A woman's place was not in the home: Challenging the assumptions about women's work in early modern history
New research has revealed that women played a fundamental role in the development of England's national economy before 1700.
phys.org
October 12, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
The anthropologist was famous for her pioneering research with chimpanzees and her influence on conservation
Jane Goodall, Trailblazing Primatologist and Chimpanzee Conservationist, Has Died
The anthropologist was famous for her pioneering research with chimpanzees and her influence on conservation
www.scientificamerican.com
October 1, 2025 at 6:48 PM
New paper out! This was a fun collaboration with Dr. Trent Holliday, Libby Cowgill, and Scott Maddux to work up a broad review on Neanderthal cold adaptations ranging from technological to physiological. This is a good one for teaching.

We referred to our collaboration as the "Coldies but Goodies"
Neandertal Cold Adaptation: Technological, Anatomical, and Physiological Responses to Cold Stress in One of Our Closest Fossil Relatives
Neandertals occupied western Eurasia for over 100 000 years, repeatedly enduring climates that ranged from seasonally cold to glacial. This paper reexamines the question of Neandertal cold adaptation...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 1, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
📢The Student Webinar Series is back!
Join Courtney Callidora Manthey and Madison Honig as they kick off the season with Dr. Christopher Bae (University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa) for a conversation on publishing as a grad student.
Don’t miss this great start to the series!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHmE...
Student webinar Series: Publishing for Students with Dr. Christopher Bae
YouTube video by Human Biology Association
www.youtube.com
September 28, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
🎙️ New Episode Alert!

This week we sit down with Jake Aronoff, a human biologist exploring the intersections of immune function, aging, and inequality.

soundcloud.com/sausageofsci...
SoS 250: Jake Aronoff's incredible journey into aging (of immune cells)
Jake Aronoff is a human biologist studying immune function and aging from an evolutionary and ecological perspective. During his PhD, he studied how stress and social inequality impacts inflammation a
soundcloud.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
🎙️ New Sausage of Science Episode!
Meet Leela McKinnon, PhD Candidate in Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Toronto. Her research explores sleep health in Indigenous Wixárika communities in Jalisco, Mexico—focusing on how rural-to-urban migration impacts sleep and circadian rhythms.
September 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
HBA is recruiting a Junior Service Fellow (Assistant Producer) for “The Sausage of Science.”
🗣️ Bilingual EN/ES required
🕒 ~6 hrs/mo | 🎧 Edit + schedule + show notes + social
💸 $750 HBA travel grant
Training provided.
Apply: email interest + CV + adviser letter to cocobock@nd.edu
September 3, 2025 at 3:25 PM
New publication out on the relationship between resting metabolism and thyroid hormones among reindeer herders and office workers in northern Finland. Female reindeer herders have, again, stood out compared to the other groups.

Read more here: sites.nd.edu/cara-ocobock...
New Publication: Higher Resting Metabolism Is Associated With Increased Free Triiodothyronine Among Female Reindeer Herders in Northern Finland – Cara Ocobock, Ph.D.
sites.nd.edu
July 15, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Ode to the Toad

Just hopping towards the pond to relax

Unfortunate victims of untimely attacks

Many will become tasty snacks

Or worse, flattened into tire tracks

By humans whose awareness is lax

For these r-selected friends, this is merely nature's tax

I fear these are the unfortunate facts
July 2, 2025 at 7:47 PM
It’s too hot today.
June 23, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Cara Ocobock
This Friday, our love story and comedy begins! Join us at 602 E Mishawaka Ave for a timeless tale like no other. Make your plans to see “Galatea,” this weekend and next weekend only.
Get tickets at amptheatrecompany.org/current-season
📷 by Miranda Manier

#michiana #mishawaka #michianatheatre
May 27, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Forest encounters in Ivalo, Finland.
May 17, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Sights from Ivalo, Finland.
May 11, 2025 at 5:12 PM