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Associate Professor
Mary Prendergast is an Associate Professor at Rice University, specializing in archaeology, bioarchaeology, and paleoanthropology. Her research integrates ancient DNA (aDNA), genetics, and environmental science to investigate human foraging strategies, population structures, and palaeoecology in sub-Saharan Africa. Her recent landmark publications include "Entwined African and Asian genetic roots of medieval peoples of the Swahili coast" (Nature, 2023) and "Ancient DNA and deep population structure in sub-Saharan African foragers" (Nature, 2022). She leads extensive international collaborations across Africa, Europe, and North America, and was awarded $374,292 for her project "Reassessing plants and pastoralist foodways in ancient eastern Africa" (2023).
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Mary Prendergast
Rice University
Associate Professor
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