Anna Katherine (Kay) Behrensmeyer is a Research Curator and Senior Scientist in the Department of Paleobiology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.  She is recognized as a pioneer in taphonomy, and her research is broadly aimed at understanding the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems over the past 300+ million years.  Kay’s career has been inspired by collaborative field projects in North America, Africa, and Pakistan, ranging up and down the geological time column from the Triassic to the Pleistocene.  She has explored temporal versus spatial averaging in the fossil record and contributed concepts such as “isotaphonomy” and “taphonomic control fossils.”  She designed methods for sampling paleontological sites aimed at understanding taphonomic biases, with a particular focus on how these affect the record of human evolution.  Kay’s research in modern ecosystems has advanced knowledge of taphonomic processes that alter and recycle organic remains.  Her 40+ year study of the “taphosystem” of Amboseli Park, Kenya, shows how changing ecological processes affect links between the living, the dead, the buried and fossilized. She is a leader of the Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems (ETE) Program and an active contributor to NMNH exhibits and outreach efforts, including her present role as lead scientist for the Deep Time Initiative. 

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• Buatois, Luis A., Renaut, Robin W., Owen, Richard B., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Scott, Jennifer J. 2020. "Animal bioturbation preserved in Pleistocene magadiite at Lake Magadi, Kenya Rift Valley, and its implications for the depositional environment of bedded magadiite." Scientific Reports, 10, (1) Article 6794. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-63505-7. 2020
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• Bobe, René, Braun, David R., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Harris, John W. K. 2020. "Introduction: Hominin paleobiology in the early Pleistocene Okote Member, Koobi Fora Formation, Kenya." Journal of human evolution, 145 Article 102811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102811. 2020
• Villaseñor, Amelia, Bobe, René, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2020. "Middle Pliocene hominin distribution patterns in Eastern Africa." Journal of Human Evolution, 147 Article 102856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102856. 2020
• Richmond, B. G., Green, D. J., Lague, M. R., Chirchir, Habiba, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bobe, R., Bamford, M. K., Griffin, N. L., Gunz, P., Mbua, E., Merritt, S. R., Pobiner, Briana L., Kiura, P., Kibunjia, M., Harris, J. W. K., and Braun, D. R. 2020. "The upper limb of Paranthropus boisei from Ileret, Kenya." Journal of human evolution, 141 Article 102727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102727. 2020
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• Patterson, David B., Braun, David R., Allen, Kayla, Barr, W. A., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Biernat, Maryse, Lehmann, Sophie B., Maddox, Tom, Manthi, Fredrick K., Merritt, Stephen R., Morris, Sarah E., O'Brien, Kaedan, Reeves, Jonathan S., Wood, Bernard A., and Bobe, René. 2019. "Comparative isotopic evidence from East Turkana supports a dietary shift within the genus Homo." Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3 1048–1056. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0916-0. 2019
• Close, Roger A., Benson, Roger B. J., Alroy, John, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Benito, Juan, Carrano, Matthew T., Cleary, Terri J., Dunne, Emma M., Mannion, Philip D., Uhen, Mark D., and Butler, Richard J. 2019. "Diversity dynamics of Phanerozoic terrestrial tetrapods at the local-community scale." Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3, (4) 590–597. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0811-8. 2019
• Toth, Aniko B., Lyons, S. Kathleen, Barr, W. Andrew, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Blois, Jessica L., Bobe, Rene, Davis, Matt, Du, Andrew, Eronen, Jussi T., Faith, J. Tyler, Fraser, Danielle, Gotelli, Nicholas J., Graves, Gary R., Jukar, Advait M., Miller, Joshua H., Pineda-Munoz, Silvia, Soul, Laura C., Villasenor, Amelia, and Alroy, John. 2019. "Reorganization of surviving mammal communities after the end-Pleistocene megafaunal extinction." Science, 365, (6459) 1305. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw1605. 2019
• Du, Andrew, Robinson, Joshua R., Rowan, John, Lazagabaster, Ignacio A., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2019. "Stable carbon isotopes from paleosol carbonate and herbivore enamel document differing paleovegetation signals in the eastern African Plio-Pleistocene." Review of palaeobotany and palynology, 261 41–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2018.11.003. 2019
• Deino, Alan L., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Brooks, Alison S., Yellen, John E., Sharp, Warren D., and Potts, Richard. 2018. "Chronology of the Acheulean to Middle Stone Age transition in eastern Africa." Science, 360, (6384) 95–98. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao2216. 2018
• Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Faith, J. Tyler, Tryon, Christian A., Brooks, Alison S., Yellen, John E., Deino, Man L., Kinyanjui, Rahab, Clark, Jennifer B., Haradon, Catherine M., Levin, Naomi E., Meijer, Hanneke J. M., Veatch, E. Grace, Owen, R. Bernhart, and Renaut, Robin W. 2018. "Environmental dynamics during the onset of the Middle Stone Age in eastern Africa." Science, 360, (6384) 86–90. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao2200. 2018
• Karp, Allison T., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Freeman, Katherine H. 2018. "Grassland fire ecology has roots in the late Miocene." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115, (48) 12130–12135. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809758115. 2018
• Brooks, Alison S., Yellen, John E., Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Deino, Alan L., Leslie, David E., Ambrose, Stanley H., Ferguson, Jeffrey R., d'Errico, Francesco, Zipkin, Andrew M., Whittaker, Scott, Post, Jeffrey, Veatch, E. Grace, Foecke, Kimberly, and Clark, Jennifer B. 2018. "Long-distance stone transport and pigment use in the earliest Middle Stone Age." Science, 360, (6384) 90–94. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao2646. 2018
• Roach, Neil T., Du, Andrew, Hatala, Kevin G., Ostrofsky, Kelly R., Reeves, Jonathan S., Braun, David R., Harris, John W. K., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Richmond, Brian G. 2018. "Pleistocene animal communities of a 1.5 million-year-old lake margin grassland and their relationship to Homo erectus paleoecology." Journal of human evolution, 122 70–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.04.014. 2018
• Du, Andrew and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2018. "Spatial, temporal and taxonomic scaling of richness in an eastern African large mammal community." Global Ecology and Biogeography, 27, (9) 1031–1042. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12762. 2018
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Potts, Richard, and Deino, Alan. 2018. "The Oltulelei Formation of the southern Kenyan Rift Valley: A chronicle of rapid landscape transformation over the last 500 k.y." GSA Bulletin, 130, (9/10) 1474–1492. https://doi.org/10.1130/B31853.1. 2018
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Denys, Christiane, and Brugal, Jean-Philip. 2018. "What is taphonomy and What is not? INTRODUCTION." Historical Biology, 30, (6) 718–719. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2018.1432919. 2018
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• Hatala, Kevin G., Roach, Neil T., Ostrofsky, Kelly R., Wunderlich, Roshna E., Dingwall, Heather L., Villmoare, Brian A., Green, David J., Braun, David R., Harris, John W. K., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Richmond, Brian G. 2017. "Hominin track assemblages from Okote Member deposits near Ileret, Kenya, and their implications for understanding fossil hominin paleobiology at 1.5 Ma." Journal of human evolution, 112 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.08.013. 2017
• Patterson, D. B., Braun, D. R., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Lehmann, S. B., Merritt, S. R., Reeves, J. S., Wood, B. A., and Bobe, R. 2017. "Landscape scale heterogeneity in the East Turkana ecosystem during the Okote Member (1.56-1.38 Ma)." Journal of human evolution, 112 148–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.06.007. 2017
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• Kinyanjui, R. N., Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Bamford, M. 2016. "Comparing the Quaternary palaeoenvironments of two major Hominin sites: the Olorgesailie and Koobi Fora Basins, Kenya." Quaternary International, 404 207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.08.196. 2016
• Zliobaite, Indre, Rinne, Janne, Tóth, Anikó B., Mechenich, Michael, Liu, Liping, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Fortelius, Mikael. 2016. "Herbivore teeth predict climatic limits in Kenyan ecosystems." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113, (45) 12751–12756. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1609409113. 2016
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• Tóth, Anikó B., Lyons, Sara K., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2014. "A Century of Change in Kenya's Mammal Communities: Increased Richness and Decreased Uniqueness in Six Protected Areas." PLoS ONE, 9, (4) 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093092. 2014
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• Owen, R. Bernhart, Renaut, Robin W., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Potts, Richard. 2014. "Quaternary geochemical stratigraphy of the Kedong-Olorgesailie section of the southern Kenya Rift valley." Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 396 194–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.01.011. 2014
• Faith, J. Tyler and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2013. "Climate change and faunal turnover: testing the mechanics of the turnover-pulse hypothesis with South African fossil data." Paleobiology, 39, (4) 609–627. https://doi.org/10.1666/12043. 2013
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• Wing, Scott L., Stromberg, Caroline A. E., Hickey, Leo J., Tiver, Fleur, Willis, Brian, Burnham, Robyn J., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2012. "Floral and environmental gradients on a Late Cretaceous landscape." Ecological Monographs, 82, (1) 23–47. https://doi.org/10.1890/11-0870.1. 2012
• Kosnik, Matthew A., Alroy, John, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Fursich, Franz T., Gastaldo, Robert A., Kidwell, Susan M., Kowalewski, Michal, Plotnick, Roy E., Rogers, Raymond R., and Wagner, Peter J. 2011. "Changes in shell durability of common marine taxa through the Phanerozoic: evidence for biological rather than taphonomic drivers." Paleobiology, 37, (2) 303–331. https://doi.org/10.1666/10022.1. 2011
• Owen, R. B., Renaut, R. W., Potts, Richard, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2011. "Geochemical trends through time and lateral variability of diatom floras in the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Formation, southern Kenya Rift Valley." Quaternary Research, 76, (1) 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2011.05.002. 2011
• Levin, Naomi E., Brown, Francis H., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bobe, René, and Cerling, Thure E. 2011. "Paleosol carbonates from the Omo Group: Isotopic records of local and regional environmental change in East Africa." Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 307, (1-4) 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.04.026. 2011
• Deocampo, Daniel M., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Potts, Richard. 2010. "Ultrafine Clay Minerals of the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Formation, Southern Kenya Rift: Diagenesis and Paleoenvironments of Early Hominins." Clays and Clay Minerals, 58, (3) 294–310. https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.2010.0580301. 2010
• Western, David and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2009. "Bone Assemblages Track Animal Community Structure over 40 Years in an African Savanna Ecosystem." Science, 324, (5930) 1061–1064. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1171155. 2009
• Bennington, J. Bret, DiMichele, William A., Badgley, Catherine, Bambach, Richard K., Barrett, Paul M., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bobe, Rene, Burnham, Robyn J., Daeschler, Edward B., Van Dam, Jan, Eronen, Jussi T., Erwin, Douglas H., Finnegan, Seth, Holland, Steven M., Hunt, Gene, Jablonski, David, Jackson, Stephen T., Jacobs, Bonnie E., Kidwell, Susan M., Koch, Paul L., Kowalewski, Michal J., Labandeira, Conrad C., Looy, Cindy V., Lyons, Sara K., Novack-Gottshall, Philip M. et al. 2009. "Critical Issues of Scale in Paleoecology." Palaios, 24, (1-2) 1–4. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2009.S01. 2009
• Bennett, Matthew R., Harris, John W. K., Richmond, Brian G., Braun, David R., Mbua, Emma, Kiura, Purity, Olago, Daniel, Kibunjia, Mzalendo, Omuombo, Christine, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Huddart, David, and Gonzalez, Silvia. 2009. "Early Hominin Foot Morphology Based on 1.5-Million-Year-Old Footprints from Ileret, Kenya." Science, 323, (5918) 1197–1201. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1168132. 2009
• Morgan, Michele E., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Badgley, Catherine, Barry, John C., Nelson, Sherry, and Pilbeam, David. 2009. "Lateral trends in carbon isotope ratios reveal a Miocene vegetation gradient in the Siwaliks of Pakistan." Geology, 37, (2) 103–106. https://doi.org/10.1130/G25359A.1. 2009
• Owen, R. Bernhart, Potts, Richard, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2009. "Reply to the comment on "Diatomaceous sediments and environmental change in the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Formation, southern Kenya Rift Valley" by R.B. Owen, R. Potts, A.K. Behrensmeyer and P. Ditchfield [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 269 (2008) 17-37]." Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 282, (1-4) 147–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.06.021. 2009
• Cohen, A., Arrowsmith, R., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Campisano, C., Feibel, C., Shimeles Fisseha, N. J., Johnson, R., Bedaso, Z. K., Lockwood, C., Olago, D., and Potts, Richard. 2009. "Scientific Drilling for Human Origins: Exploring the Application of Drill Core Records to Understanding Hominin Evolution. Workshop Report for EOS Supplementary On-line materials." Eos, 90, (14) 122. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009EO140010. 2009
• Owen, R. Bernhart, Renaut, Robin W., Scott, Jennifer J., Potts, Richard, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2009. "Wetland sedimentation and associated diatoms in the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Basin, southern Kenya Rift Valley." Sedimentary Geology, 222, (1-2) 124–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2009.03.013. 2009
• Owen, R. B., Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Ditchfield, P. 2008. "Diatomaceous sediments and environmental change in the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Formation, southern Kenya Rift Valley." Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 269 17–37. 2008
• Badgley, Catherine J., Barry, John C., Morgan, Michele E., Nelson, Sherry V., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Cerling, Thure E., and Pilbeam, David. 2008. "Ecological changes in Miocene mammalian record show impact of prolonged climatic forcing." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105, (34) 12145–12149. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0805592105. 2008
• Faith, J. T., Marean, C. W., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2007. "Carnivore competition, bone destruction, and bone density." Journal of Archaeological Science, 34 2025–2034. 2007
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Quade, Jay, Cerling, Thure E., Kappelman, John, Khan, Imran A., Copeland, Peter, Roe, Lois, Hicks, Jason, Stubblefield, Phoebe, Willis, Brian J., and Latorre, Claudio. 2007. "The structure and rate of late Miocene expansion of C-4 plants: Evidence from lateral variation in stable isotopes in paleosols of the Siwalik Group, northern Pakistan." Geological Society of America Bulletin, 119, (11-12) 1486–1505. https://doi.org/10.1130/B26064.1. 2007

Chapter

• Kinyanjui, Rahab N., Meadows, Michael, Gillson, Lindsey, Bamford, Marion K., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Potts, Richard. 2021. "Reconstructing vegetation history of the Olorgesailie Basin during the Middle to Late Pleistocene using phytolith data." In Quaternary Vegetation Dynamics – The African Pollen Database. 1 ed. Runge, Jürgen, Gosling, William D., Lézine, Anne-Marie, and Scott, Louis, editors. 85–106. London: CRC Press. 2021
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2021. "Taphonomy." In Encyclopedia of Geology (Second Edition). Alderton, David and Elias, Scott A., editors. 12–22. Oxford: Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102908-4.00120-X. 2021
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K. and Strömberg, Caroline A. E. 2019. "Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction." In Foundations of Paleoecology: Classic Papers with Commentaries. Lyons, S. Kathleen, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Wagner, Peter J., editors. 415–419. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. (https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226618340.001.0001), https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226618340.001.0001. 2019
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K. and Reed, Kaye E. 2013. "Reconstructing the Habitats of Australopithecus: Paleoenvironments, Site Taphonomy, and Faunas." In The Paleobiology of Australopithecus. Reed, Kaye E., Fleagle, John G., and Leakey, Richard E., editors. 41–60. Springer Netherlands. In Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. 2013
• Barry, John C., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Badgley, Catherine E., Flynn, Lawrence J., Peltonen, Hannele, Cheema, I. U., Pilbeam, David, Lindsay, Everett H., Raza, S. M., Rajpar, Abdul Rahim, and Morgan, Michele E. 2013. "The Neogene Siwaliks of the Potwar Plateau, Pakistan." In Fossil Mammals of Asia: Neogene Biostratigraphy and Chronology. Wang, Xiaoming, Flynn, Lawrence J., and Fortelius, Mikael, editors. 373–399. Columbia University Press. 2013
• Flynn, Lawrence J., Lindsay, Everett H., Pilbeam, David, Raza, S. M., Morgan, Michele E., Barry, John C., Badgley, Catherine E., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Cheema, I. U., Rajpar, Abdul Rahim, and Opdyke, Neil D. 2013. "The Siwaliks and Neogene Evolutionary Biology in South Asia." In Fossil Mammals of Asia: Neogene Biostratigraphy and Chronology. Wang, Xiaoming, Flynn, Lawrence J., and Fortelius, Mikael, editors. 353–372. Columbia University Press. 2013
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K. and Miller, Joshua H. 2012. "Building links between ecology and palaeontology using taphonomic studies of recent vertebrate communities." In Palaeontology in Ecology and Conservation. Louys, Julien, editor. 69–91. New York: Springer. In Springer Earth System Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25038-5_5. 2012
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2011. "Conversations with Glynn's Ghost: The Evolution of Paleolandscape Research at East Turkana." In Casting the Net Wide: Papers in Honor of Glynn Isaac and His Approach to Human Origins Research. Sept, Jeanne and Pilbeam, David, editors. 21–40. Cambridge, MA: American School of Prehistoric Research, Harvard University. 2011
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2011. "Linking Researchers across Generations: Field Notes in Paleobiology." In Field Notes for Scientists and Naturalists. Canfield, Michael, editor. 89–108. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 2011
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2008. "Paleoenvironmental context of the Pliocene A.L. 333 “First Family” Hominin Locality, Denen Dora Member, Hadar Formation, Ethiopia." In GSA Special Paper 446: The Geology of Early Humans in the Horn of Africa. Quade, Jay and Wynn, Jonathan, editors. 203–214. 2008
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bobe, Rene, and Alemseged, Zeresenay. 2007. "Approaches to the analysis of faunal change during the East African Pliocene." In Hominin Environments in the East African Pliocene: An Assessment of the Faunal Evidence, Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology Series, Volume 1. Bobe, Rene, Alemseged, Zeresenay, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K., editors. 1–24. Springer. 2007
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2007. "Bonebeds through Geologic Time." In Bonebeds: Genesis, Analysis, and Paleobiological Significance. Rogers, R., Eberth, D., and Fiorillo, T., editors. 65–102. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 2007
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2007. "Changes through Time in Carcass Survival in the Amboseli ecosystem, southern Kenya." In Breathing Life into Fossils: Taphonomic Studies in Honor of C.K. (Bob) Brain. Pickering, T., Schick, K., and Toth, N., editors. 137–160. Stone Age Institute Press. 2007
• Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Alemseged, Zeresenay, and Bobe, Rene. 2007. "Finale and future: investigating faunal evidence for hominin paleoecology in East Africa." In Hominin Environments in the East African Pliocene: An Assessment of the Faunal Evidence. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology Series, Volume 1. Bobe, Rene, Alemseged, Zeresenay, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K., editors. 333–346. Springer. 2007
• Bobe, Rene, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Eck, G. G., and Harris, J. M. 2007. "Patterns of abundance and diversity in late Cenozoic bovids from the Turkana and Hadar Basins, Kenya and Ethiopia." In Hominin Environments in the East African Pliocene: An Assessment of the Faunal Evidence, Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology Series, Volume 1. Bobe, Rene, Alemseged, Zeresenay, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K., editors. 129–158. Springer. 2007

Book

• Lyons, S. Kathleen, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Wagner, Peter J., editors. 2019. Foundations of Paleoecology: Classic Papers with Commentaries. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226618340.001.0001. 2019