Zeder, Melinda
Curator of Old World Achaeology Emeritus
Zeder, Melinda
Curator of Old World Achaeology Emeritus
Animal domestication; origins of food production, environmental impact of early agro-pastoral economies in the Near East, subsistence resources in emerging complex societies, Near Eastern archaeology, zooarchaeology
Geographic Focus
Background And Education
Education And Training
Research And Grants
Investigator On
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2024. "A method for constructing demographic profiles of Capra aegagrus/C. hircus using logarithm size index scaling." Journal of Archaeological Science, 172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2024.106103. 2024
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2024. "Out of the Shadows: Reestablishing the Eastern Fertile Crescent as a Center of Agricultural Origins: Part 1." Journal of Archaeological Research, 1–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10814-024-09195-5. 2024
- Ecker, Michaela, Hariri, Nemat, Heydari‐Guran, Saman, Ghasidian, Elham, Tuross, Noreen, Zeder, Melinda, and Makarewicz, Cheryl A. 2023. "Herbivore enamel carbon and oxygen isotopes demonstrate both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals exploited similar habitats in the Zagros Mountains." Journal of Quaternary Science, 38, (8) 1279–1288. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3561. 2023
- Daly, Kevin G., Mattiangeli, Valeria, Hare, Andrew J., Davoudi, Hossein, Fathi, Homa, Doost, Sanaz Beizaee, Amiri, Sarieh, Khazaeli, Roya, Decruyenaere, Delphine, Nokandeh, Jebrael, Richter, Tobias, Darabi, Hojjat, Mortensen, Peder, Pantos, Alexis, Yeomans, Lisa, Bangsgaard, Pernille, Mashkour, Marjan, Zeder, Melinda A., and Bradley, Daniel G. 2021. "Herded and hunted goat genomes from the dawn of domestication in the Zagros Mountains." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118, (25). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2100901118. 2021
- Zeder, Melinda A. and Lemoine, Ximena. 2020. "A method for constructing demographic profiles in Sus scrofa using Logarithm Size Index scaling." Journal of Archaeological Science, 116 105115–105115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2020.105115. 2020
- Zeder, Melinda A. and Lemoine, Ximena. 2020. "Factors affecting molar size in Sus scrofa." Journal of Archaeological Science, 124 105266–105266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2020.105266. 2020
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2020. "Straw Foxes: Domestication Syndrome Evaluation Comes Up Short." Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 35, (8) 647–649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.03.001. 2020
- Cucchi, Thomas, Papayianni, Katerina, Cersoy, Sophie, Aznar-Cormano, Laetitia, Zazzo, Antoine, Debruyne, Regis, Berthon, Remi, Balasescu, Adrian, Simmons, Alan, Valla, Francois, Hamilakis, Yannis, Mavridis, Fanis, Mashkour, Marjan, Darvish, Jamshid, Siahsarvi, Roohollah, Biglari, Fereidoun, Petrie, Cameron A., Weeks, Lloyd, Sardari, Alireza, Maziar, Sepideh, Denys, Christiane, Orton, David, Jenkins, Emma, Zeder, Melinda, Searle, Jeremy B. et al. 2020. "Tracking the Near Eastern origins and European dispersal of the western house mouse." Scientific Reports, 10, (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-64939-9. 2020
- Frantz, Laurent A. F., Haile, James, Lin, Audrey T., Scheu, Amelie, Geörg, Christina, Benecke, Norbert, Alexander, Michelle, Linderholm, Anna, Mullin, Victoria E., Daly, Kevin G., Battista, Vincent M., Price, Max, Gron, Kurt J., Alexandri, Panoraia, Arbogast, Rose-Marie, Arbuckle, Benjamin, Bӑlӑşescu, Adrian, Barnett, Ross, Bartosiewicz, Lá, Baryshnikov, Gennady, Bonsall, Clive, Borić, Dušan, Boroneanţ, Adina, Bulatović, Jelena, Çakirlar, Canan et al. 2019. "Ancient pigs reveal a near-complete genomic turnover following their introduction to Europe." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116, (35) 17231–17238. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1901169116. 2019
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2018. "Why evolutionary biology needs anthropology: Evaluating core assumptions of the extended evolutionary synthesis." Evolutionary Anthropology, 27, (6) 267–284. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.21747. 2018
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2017. "Domestication as a model system for the extended evolutionary synthesis." Interface Focus, 7, (5) 20160133. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2016.0133. 2017
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2016. "Domestication as a model system for niche construction theory." Evolutionary Ecology, 30, (2) 325–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-015-9801-8. 2016
- Boivin, Nicole L., Zeder, Melinda A., Fuller, Dorian Q., Crowther, Alison, Larson, Greger, Erlandson, Jon M., Denham, Tim, and Petraglia, Michael D. 2016. "Ecological consequences of human niche construction: Examining long-term anthropogenic shaping of global species distributions." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113, (23) 6388–6396. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1525200113. 2016
- Spitzer, Megan D. and Zeder, Melinda A. 2016. "New insights into broad spectrum communities of the Early Holocene Near East: The birds of Hallan Çemi." Quaternary Science Reviews, 151 140–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.08.024. 2016
- Erlandson, Jon M., Zeder, Melinda A., Boivin, Nicole L., Crowther, Alison, Denham, Tim, Fuller, Dorian Q., Larson, Greger, and Petraglia, Michael D. 2016. "Reply to Ellis et al.: Human niche construction and evolutionary theory." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113, (31) E4437–E4438. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1609617113. 2016
- Zeder, Melinda A., Denham, Tim, Erlandson, Jon M., Boivin, Nicole L., Crowther, Alison, Fuller, Dorian Q., Larson, Greger, and Petraglia, Michael D. 2016. "Reply to Westaway and Lyman: Emus, dingoes, and archaeology's role in conservation biology." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113, (33) E4759–E4760. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1610697113. 2016
- Zeder, Melinda A., Lemoine, Ximena, and Payne, Sebastian. 2015. "A New System for Computing Long-Bone Fusion Age Profiles in Sus scrofa." Journal of Archaeological Science, 55 135–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.12.017. 2015
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2015. "Core questions in domestication research." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112, (11) 3191–3198. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1501711112. 2015
- Forcina, Giovanni, Guerrini, Monica, van Grouw, Hein, Gupta, Brij K., Panayides, Panicos, Hadjigerou, Pantelis, Al-Sheikhly, Omar, Awan, Muhammad N., Khan, Aleem A., Zeder, Melinda A., and Barbanera, Filippo. 2015. "Impacts of biological globalization in the Mediterranean: Unveiling the deep history of human-mediated gamebird dispersal." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112, (11) 3296–3301. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1500677112. 2015
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2015. "Reply to Mohlenhoff et al.: Human behavioral ecology needs a rethink that niche-construction theory can provide." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112, (24). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1508096112. 2015
- Lemoine, Ximena, Zeder, Melinda A., Bishop, Katelyn J., and Rufolo, Scott J. 2014. "A New System for Computing Dentition-Based Age Profiles in Sus scrofa." Journal of Archaeological Science, 47 179–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.04.002. 2014
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2014. "Alternative to faith-based science." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111, (28). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1408209111. 2014
- Braje, Todd J., Erlandson, Jon M., Aikens, C. M., Beach, Tim, Fitzpatrick, Scott, Gonzalez, Sara, Kennett, Douglas J., Kirch, Patrick V., Lee, Gyoung-Ah, Lightfoot, Kent, McClure, Sarah B., Panich, Lee M., Rick, Torben C., Roosevelt, Anna C., Schneider Tsim D., Smith, Bruce D., and Zeder, Melinda A. 2014. "An Anthropocene Without Archaeology—Should We Care?" The SAA Archaeological Record, 14, (1) 26–29. 2014
- Grayson, D. K., Meltzer, D. J., Buikstra, J. E., Flannery, K. V., Fowler, C. S., Marcus, J., O'Connell, J. F., Piperno, Dolores R., Sabloff, J. A., Smith, Bruce D., Thomas, D. H., Willerslev, E., and Zeder, Melinda A. 2014. "Early Americans: Respecting ancestors." Science, 345, (6195) 390–390. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.345.6195.390-b. 2014
- Kintigh, Keith W., Altschul, Jeffrey H., Beaudry, Mary C., Drennan, Robert D., Kinzig, Ann P., Kohler, Timothy A., Limp, W. Frederick, Maschner, Herbert D. G., Michener, William K., Pauketat, Timothy R., Peregrine, Peter, Sabloff, Jeremy A., Wilkinson, Tony J., Wright, Henry T., and Zeder, Melinda A. 2014. "Grand Challenges for Archaeology." American Antiquity, 79, (1) 5–24. https://doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.79.1.5. 2014
- Kintigh, Keith W., Altschul, Jeffrey H., Beaudry, Mary C., Drennan, Robert D., Kinzig, Ann P., Kohler, Timothy A., Limp, W. Fredrick, Maschner, Herbert D. G., Michener, William K., Pauketat, Timothy R., Peregrine, Peter, Sabloff, Jeremy A., Wilkinson, Tony J., Wright, Henry T., and Zeder, Melinda A. 2014. "Grand challenges for archaeology." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111, (3) 879–880. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1324000111. 2014
- Rowley-Conwy, Peter and Zeder, Melinda A. 2014. "Mesolithic domestic pigs at Rosenhof – or wild boar? A critical re-appraisal of ancient DNA and geometric morphometrics." World Archaeology, 46, (5) 813–824. 2014
- Rowley-Conwy, Peter, Zeder, Melinda A., and Bar-Oz, Guy. 2014. "Wild Boar or Domestic Pigs? Response to Evin et al." Quaternary International, 46, (5) 83. 2014
- Zeder, Melinda A., Bar-Oz, Guy, Rufolo, Scott J., and Hole, Frank. 2013. "New perspectives on the use of kites in mass-kills of Levantine gazelle: A view from Northeastern Syria." Quaternary International, 297 110–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2012.12.045. 2013
- Smith, Bruce D. and Zeder, Melinda A. 2013. "The onset of the Anthropocene." Anthropocene, 4 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2013.05.001. 2013
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2012. "The Broad Spectrum Revolution at 40: Resource diversity, intensification, and an alternative to optimal foraging explanations." Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 31, (3) 241–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2012.03.003. 2012
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2012. "The Domestication of Animals." Journal of Anthropological Research, 68, (2) 161–190. 2012
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2011. "Religion and the Revolution: The Legacy of Jacques Cauvin." Paléorient, 37, (1) 39–60. 2011
- Bar-Oz, Guy, Zeder, Melinda A., and Hole, Frank. 2011. "Role of mass-kill hunting strategies in the extirpation of Persian gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in the northern Levant." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108, (18) 7345–7350. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1017647108. 2011
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2011. "The Origins of Agriculture in the Near East." Current Anthropology, 52, (S4) S221–S235. https://doi.org/10.1086/659307. 2011
- Zeder, Melinda A. and Pilaar, Suzanne E. 2010. "Assessing the reliability of criteria used to identify mandibles and mandibular teeth in sheep, Ovis, and goats, Capra." Journal of Archaeological Science, 37, (2) 225–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2009.10.002. 2010
- Zeder, Melinda A. and Lapham, Heather A. 2010. "Assessing the reliability of criteria used to post-cranial bones in sheep, Ovis, and goats, Capra." Journal of Archaeological Science, 37 2887–2905. 2010
- Zeder, Melinda A. and Smith, Bruce D. 2009. "A conversation on agricultural origins: Talking past each other in a crowded room." Current Anthropology, 50, (5) 681–691. https://doi.org/10.1086/605553. 2009
- Miller, Naomi F. and Zeder, Melinda A. 2009. "From Food and Fuel to Farms and Flocks: The Integration of Plant and Animal Remains in the Study of Ancient Agro-Pastoral Economies." Current Anthropology, 50, (6) 915–924. https://doi.org/10.1086/606035. 2009
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2009. "The Neolithic Macro-(R)evolution: Macroevolutionary Theory and the Study of Culture Change." Journal of Archaeological Research, 17, (1) 1–63. 2009
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2008. "Domestication and early agriculture in the Mediterranean Basin: Origins, diffusion, and impact." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105, (33) 11597–11604. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0801317105. 2008
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2008. "The Archaeobiology of the Khabur Basin." Bulletin of the Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies, 29 21–32. 2008
- Cowgill, L. W., Trinkaus, E., and Zeder, Melinda A. 2007. "Shanidar 10: A Middle Paleolithic immature distal lower limb from Shanidar Cave, Iraqi Kurdistan." Journal of Human Evolution, 53, (2) 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.04.003. 2007
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Chapter
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2017. "Out of the Fertile Crescent: The dispersal of domestic livestock through Europe and Africa." In Human Dispersal and Species Movement, From Prehistory to the Present.. Zeder, Melinda A., editor. 261–303. Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge Press. 2017
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2014. "Defining Domestication." In Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. 2184–2194. Springer. 2014
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2012. "Pathways to Domestication." In Biodiversity in Agriculture: Domestication, Evolution, and Sustainability. Gepts, P., Famula, T. R., Bettinger, R. L. et al., editors. 227–259. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2012
- Zeder, Melinda A., Buikstra, Jane E., and van der Leeuw, Sander. 2010. "Interdisciplinary Studies in Archaeology." In Voices in American Archaeology, SAA 75th Anniversary Commemorative Volume. Ashmore, W., Mills, B., and Lippert, Dorothy T., editors. 220–269. Washington, DC: SAA. 2010
- Zeder, Melinda A. 2009. "Evolutionary Biology and the Emergence of Agriculture: The Value of Co-opted Models of Evolution in the Study of Culture Change." In Macroevolution in Human Prehistory: Evolutionary Theory and Processual Archaeology. Prentiss, A., Kruijt, I., and Chatters, J., editors. 157–210. Springer. 2009
Affiliation
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- National Museum of Natural History Academic Department
