Yoel Rak
Yoel Rak | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | German-Israeli |
| Known for | Member of Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities |
| Awards | Igor Orenstein Chair |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Paleoanthropology Anatomy Anthropology |
Yoel Rak (Berlin, 29 June 1946) is a German-Israeli anatomist, paleoanthropologist and researcher.[1] He is a professor emeritus in the Department of Anatomy and Anthropology at Tel Aviv University's School of Medicine.[2][3]
Research areas
Yoel Rak studies human anatomy and evolution. He focuses on facial anatomy, jaw function, and the mechanics of walking upright.[2][4][5]
Yoel Rak’s second area of research focuses on Neanderthal remains found in the Israel. For a long duration, This region was inhabited at the same time by Neanderthals migrating from the north and modern humans (Homo sapiens) coming from the south.[6] Both groups took turns living in the same caves. Rak led several excavations and took part in projects such as the exploration of Amud Cave[7](1990–1994) and Kebara Cave (1982–1990),[8] where the southernmost evidence of Neanderthal presence was identified.[9]
Honors
In 2008, Rak became a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.[10] In 1999, he was awarded the Igor Orenstein Chair for the Study of Aging at Tel Aviv University.[11]
Selected publications
Books
- The Australopithecine Face. Academic Press, New York 1983, ISBN 978-0125762809.
- William H. Kimbel, Yoel Rak, Donald Johanson, Ralph L Holloway and Michael S Yuan: The Skull of Australopithecus afarensis. Oxford University Press , London 2004, ISBN 978-0195157062.
Articles
- Rak, Yoel (1978). "The functional significance of the squamosal suture in Australopithecus boisei". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 49 (1): 71–78. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330490111. ISSN 0002-9483. PMID 98055.
- Rak, Yoel; Howell, F. Clark (1978). "Cranium of a juvenile Australopithecus boisei from the lower Omo Basin, Ethiopia". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 48 (3): 345–365. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330480311. ISSN 1096-8644.
- Rak, Yoel; Clarke, Ronald J. (1979). "Ear ossicle of Australopithecus robustus". Nature. 279 (5708): 62–63. Bibcode:1979Natur.279...62R. doi:10.1038/279062a0. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 377094.
- Rak, Y.; Clarke, R. J. (1979). "Aspects of the middle and external ear of early South African hominids". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 51 (3): 471–474. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330510320. ISSN 0002-9483. PMID 119440.
- Rak, Y (1985). Australopithecine taxonomy and phylogeny in light of facial morphology, American Journal of Physical Anthropology. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330660305
- Rak, Yoel (1986-03-01). "The Neanderthal: A new look at an old face". Journal of Human Evolution. 15 (3): 151–164. Bibcode:1986JHumE..15..151R. doi:10.1016/S0047-2484(86)80042-2. ISSN 0047-2484.
- "On the differences between two pelvises of Mousterian context from the Qafzeh and Kebara caves, Israel". scispace.com. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- Kimbel, William H.; Johanson, Donald C.; Rak, Yoel (1994). "The first skull and other new discoveries of Australopithecus afarensis at Hadar, Ethiopia". Nature. 368 (6470): 449–451. Bibcode:1994Natur.368..449K. doi:10.1038/368449a0. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 8133889.
- Rak, Y.; Kimbel, W. H.; Johanson, D. C. (1996). "The crescent of foramina in Australopithecus afarensis and other early hominids". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 101 (1): 93–99. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199609)101:1<93::AID-AJPA6>3.0.CO;2-E. ISSN 0002-9483. PMID 8876815.
- Rak, Yoel; Ginzburg, Avishag; Geffen, Eli (2007-04-17). "Gorilla-like anatomy on Australopithecus afarensis mandibles suggests Au. afarensis link to robust australopiths". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104 (16): 6568–6572. doi:10.1073/pnas.0606454104. PMC 1871826. PMID 17426152.
References
- ^ "A Bitter Archaeological Battle Is Rocking Tel Aviv University". Haaretz. 2021-12-09.
- ^ a b AP and ToI Staff. "Tel Aviv prof helps shake up evolutionary tree with 1.8m-year-old skull find". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ "Israeli researchers: 'Lucy' is not direct ancestor of humans | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Saraceni, Jessica Esther (2024-10-29). "News - Study Compares Modern Human and Neanderthal Burials in the Levant". Archaeology Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Rak, Yoel; Ginzburg, Avishag; Geffen, Eli (2007-04-17). "Gorilla-like anatomy on Australopithecus afarensis mandibles suggests Au. afarensis link to robust australopiths". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104 (16): 6568–6572. doi:10.1073/pnas.0606454104. PMC 1871826. PMID 17426152.
- ^ "UNM professor on team studying Neandertal remains". UNM UCAM Newsroom. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Hovers, Erella; Rak, Yoel; Lavi, Ron; Kimbel, William H. (1995). "Hominid Remains from Amud Cave in the Context of the Levantine Middle Paleolithic". Paléorient. 21 (2): 47–61. doi:10.3406/paleo.1995.4617.
- ^ Rak, Y.; Arensburg, B. (1987). "Kebara 2 Neanderthal pelvis: First look at a complete inlet". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 73 (2): 227–231. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330730209. ISSN 1096-8644. PMID 3113264.
- ^ "Jaw of Contention: Who Was Nesher Ramla Homo?". Davidson Institute of Science Education. 2021-12-23. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Prof. Yoel Rak". Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
- ^ "Tel Aviv University Webflash - December 1999". Tel Aviv University.