The Primate Evolution Lab is broadly focused on morphogenesis in Hominoidea: How do different factors influence the evolution of, and variation in, anatomic shape among humans and our ape relatives? To what extent do these interactions inform our understanding of adaptive evolution and other evolutionary processes? Major projects in the lab are related to 1) quantitative analyses of anatomic shape and form, or 2) paleobiological research on Kenyan fossil sites dating from 23-11 million years ago. A core tenet of the McNulty lab is that strong support for representation, public engagement, stakeholder consultation, and educational outreach is fundamental to good research. We engage in these efforts because they are ethically compelling but we also recognize that our research benefits in direct proportion to the degree to which we integrate such work into our projects.

KM Middleton, DL Duren, KP McNulty, H Oh, M Valiathan, RJ Sherwood. (2023). Cross-sectional data accurately model longitudinal growth in the craniofacial skeleton. Scientific Reports 13: 19294. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-46018-x.

DJ Peppe, SM Cote, AL Deino, DL Fox, JD Kingston, RN Kinyanjui, WE Lukens, LM MacLatchy, A Novello, CAE Strömberg, SG Driese, ND Garrett, KR Hillis, BF Jacobs, KEH Jenkins, R Kityo, T Lehmann, FK Manthi, EN Mbua, LA Michel, ER Miller, AAT Mugume, SN Muteti, IO Nengo, KO Oginga, SR Phelps, P Polissar, JB Rossie, NJ Stevens, KT Uno, KP McNulty. (2023). Oldest evidence of abundant C4 grasses and habitat heterogeneity in eastern Africa. Science 380: 173–177. doi: 10.1126/science.abq2834.

LM MacLatchy, SM Cote, AL Deino, R Kityo, AAT Mugume, JB Rossie, WJ Sanders, MN Cosman, SG Driese, DL Fox, A Freeman, RJW Jansma, KEH Jenkins, RN Kinyanjui, WE Lukens, KP McNulty, A Novello, DJ Peppe, CAE Strömberg, KT Uno, AJ Winkler, JD Kingston. (2023). The evolution of hominoid locomotor versatility: Evidence from Moroto, a 21 Ma site in Uganda. Science 380: eabq2835. doi: 10.1126/science.abq2835.

LA Michel, DJ Peppe, KD Cheng, H Summers, HW Leimer, T Lehmann, SN Muteti, KP McNulty. (2023). Stratigraphic Revision of the Early Miocene Kiahera Formation from Rusinga and Mfangano Islands, Lake Victoria, Kenya. Journal of African Earth Sciences 200: 104877. doi: 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2023.104877.

CA Brochu, A de Celis, AJ Adams, SK Drumheller, JH Nestler, BR Benefit, A Grossman, F Kirera, T Lehmann, C Liutkus-Pierce, FK Manthi, ML McCrossin, KP McNulty, RN Juma. (2022). Giant dwarf crocodiles from the Miocene of Kenya and crocodylid faunal dynamics in the Late Cenozoic of East Africa. The Anatomical Record 305: 2729–2765. doi: 10.1002/ar.25005.

RP Knigge, AM Hardin, KM Middleton, KP McNulty, H Oh, M Valiathan, DL Duren, RJ Sherwood. (2022). Craniofacial growth and morphology among intersecting clinical categories. The Anatomical Record 305: 2175–2206. doi: 10.1002/ar.24870.

AM Hardin, RP Knigge, H Oh, M Valiathan, DL Duren, KP McNulty, KM Middleton, RJ Sherwood. (2022). Estimating craniofacial growth cessation: Comparison of asymptote- and rate-based methods. Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. 59: 230–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/10556656211002675.

RP Knigge, KP McNulty, H Oh, AM Hardin, EV Leary, DL Duren, M Valiathan, RJ Sherwood. (2021). Geometric morphometric analysis of growth patterns among facial types. American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics 160: 430–441. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2020.04.038.

RJ Sherwood, H Oh, M Valiathan, KP McNulty, DL Duren, RP Knigge, AM Hardin, CL Holzhauer, KM Middleton. (2021). Bayesian approaches to longitudinal craniofacial growth: the Craniofacial Growth Consortium Study. The Anatomical Record 304: 991–1019. doi: 10.1002/ar.24520.

LA Michel, KP McNulty, SG Driese, HM Dunsworth, DL Fox, ND Garrett, WEH Harcourt-Smith, T Lehmann, DJ Peppe. (2020). Climatic fluctuations in the early Miocene Hiwegi Formation, Lake Victoria, Kenya, and their influence on early ape evolution. Sedimentology 67: 3567–3594. doi: 10.1111/sed.12762.

EA Simons, SR Frost, K Harvati, KP McNulty, M Singleton. (2020). Comparing rates of lineage diversification with rates of size and shape evolution in catarrhine crania. Evolutionary Biology 47: 152–163. doi: 0.1007/s11692-020-09500-2.

RP Knigge, C Vinyard, KP McNulty. (2020). Mandibular symphyseal fusion in fossil primates: Insights from correlated patterns of jaw shape and masticatory function in living primates. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 173: 322–336. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.24048.

AM Hardin, M Valiathan, H Oh, RP Knigge, KP McNulty, EV Leary, DL Duren, RJ Sherwood. (2020). Clinical implications of age-related change of the mandibular plane angle. Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research 23: 50–58. doi: 10.1111/ocr.12342.
    [Featured on journal cover]

H Oh, RP Knigge, AM Hardin, RJ Sherwood, DL Duren, M Valiathan, EV Leary, KP McNulty. (2019). Predicting facial type from mandibular landmark data at young ages. Orthodontic and Craniofacial Research 22 (Suppl. 1): 154–162. doi: 10.1111/ocr.12296.

JM Zichello, KL Baab, KP McNulty, CJ Raxworthy, M Steiper. (2018). Hominoid intraspecific cranial variation mirrors neutral genetic diversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 115: 11501–11506. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1802651115.

WE Lukens, T Lehmann, SG Driese, DJ Peppe, DL Fox, KP McNulty. (2017). The Early Miocene critical zone at Karungu, Western Kenya: an equatorial, open habitat with few primate remains. Frontiers in Earth Sciences 5: 1–21. doi: 10.3389/feart.2017.00087.

KE Jenkins, S Nightingale, JT Faith, DJ Peppe, LA Michel, SG Driese, KP McNulty, CA Tryon. (2017). New excavations at Wakondo (Rusinga Island, Kenya): Middle Stone Age exploitation of a catastrophic death assemblage of the extinct bovid, Rusingoryx atopocranion. Journal of Human Evolution 108: 72–91. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.11.004.

KP McNulty. (2016). Hominin taxonomy and phylogeny: what's in a name? Nature Education Knowledge 7(1): 2 [http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/hominin-taxonomy-and-phylogeny-what-s-in-142102877].

KB Carlson, DJ de Ruiter, TJ DeWitt, KP McNulty, KJ Carlson, P Tafforeau, LR Berger. (2016). Developmental simulation of the adult cranial morphology of Australopithecus sediba. South African Journal Science 112: 9. doi: 10.17159/sajs.2016/20160012.

S Cote, KP McNulty, NJ Stevens, IO Nengo. (2016). A detailed assessment of the maxillary morphology of Limnopithecus evansi with implications for the taxonomy of the genus. Journal of Human Evolution 94: 83–91. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.01.004.

D Geraads, T Lehmann, DJ Peppe, KP McNulty. (2016). New Rhinocerotidae from the Kisingiri localities (Lower Miocene of Western Kenya). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36: e1103247. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1103247.

JA Ledogar, AL Smith, S Benazzi, GW Weber, MA Spencer, KP Carlson, KP McNulty, PC Dechow, IR Grosse, CF Ross, BG Richmond, BW Wright, Q Wang, C Byron, KJ Carlson, DJ de Ruiter, LR Berger, K Tamvada, LC Pryor Smith, MA Berthaume, DS Strait. (2016). Mechanical evidence that Australopithecus sediba was limited in its ability to eat hard foods. Nature Communications 7: 10596. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10596.

KP McNulty, DR Begun, J Kelley, FK Manthi, EN Mbua. (2015). A systematic revision of Proconsul with the description of a new genus of early Miocene hominoid. Journal of Human Evolution 84: 42–61. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.03.009.

ND Garrett, DL Fox, KP McNulty, JT Faith, DJ Peppe, A Van Plantinga, CA Tryon. (2015). Stable isotopic paleoecology of Late Pleistocene Middle Stone Age humans from the Lake Victoria basin, Kenya. Journal of Human Evolution 82: 1–14. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.005.

 Knigge, MW Tocheri, CM Orr, KP McNulty. (2015). The relationship between talar morphology and habitual substrate use among living gorilla taxa assessed using 3D geometric morphometrics. The Anatomical Record 298: 277–290. doi: 10.1002/ar.23069.

KP McNulty, CJ Vinyard. (2015). Morphometry, geometry, function and the future. The Anatomical Record 298: 328–333. doi: 10.1002/ar.23064.

B Shearer, PS Ungar, KP McNulty, WEH Harcourt-Smith, HM Dunsworth, MF Teaford. (2015). Dental microwear profilometry of African non-cercopithecoid catarrhines of the Early Miocene. Journal of Human Evolution 78: 33–43. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.08.011.

LA Michel, DJ Peppe, JA Lutz, SG Driese, HM Dunsworth, WEH Harcourt-Smith, W Horner, T Lehmann, S Nightingale, KP McNulty. (2014). Remnants of an ancient forest provide ecological context for Early Miocene fossil apes. Nature Communications 5: 3236. doi: 10.1038/ncomms4236.

Education

• 2003 Ph.D. (Anthropology), City University of New York
• 2000 M. Phil. (Anthropology), City University of New York
• 1998 M.A. (Anthropology), Hunter College
• 1995 A.B. (Anthropology), Dartmouth College

 Visiting professorships

• 2011–2012 Visiting Leverhulme Professor, Department of Anthropology, Durham University
• 2011 Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolution, Stony Brook University

 Awards/fellowships

• 2021 (perm.) Named "Heritage Champion of Western Kenyan Sites and Monuments", by the National Museums of Kenya
• 2017-20 Scholar of the College, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota
• 2011-12 Leverhulme Trust Fellowship, Durham University, U.K.
• 2009-11 McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, University of Minnesota