Skip to main content

About David J. Green

Dr. David Green received his BA in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy from Duke University and his PhD in Hominid Paleobiology from The George Washington University. Prior to joining CUSOM in 2018, Dr. Green was a member of the Department of Anatomy at Midwestern University (Downers Grove, IL) with appointments and teaching responsibilities in the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Dental Medicine-Illinois, College of Health Sciences, and the Chicago College of Optometry.

Dr. Green studies the evolution and comparative anatomy of the hominoid (humans and apes) shoulder. He has compiled an extensive developmental comparative morphometric dataset from over 1,200 living hominoid scapulae (shoulder blades) collected from various museums throughout the US, UK, and Africa. This work incorporates both traditional and three-dimensional morphometric approaches to better understand shape variation among living taxa. Currently, he is compiling 3D scan data of clavicles for a new project seeking to better understand the ontogeny of shoulder girdle shape and orientation.

Dr. Green has also investigated the transition to dedicated bipedal locomotion in the hominin lineage by evaluating the evidence for climbing adaptations in the upper extremity of early hominin taxa. This work has considered several members of the genus Australopithecus (including the famous “Lucy” skeleton) and early representatives of the genus Homo. More recently, he has been involved in the description and analysis of new hominin fossils, including the nearly complete Australopithecus afarensis child from Dikika, Ethiopia, which preserves both complete scapulae, as well as new discoveries from Koobi Fora, Kenya, and the cave sites Malapa, Rising Star, and Sterkfontein in South Africa.

Positions

Present Associate Professor, Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine
to



Grants

2011 - 2014 Hominin footprints, fossils, and their context in the early Pleistocene of Koobi Fora, Kenya
National Science Foundation
Role: Senior personnel; faculty associate
Colleague(s): B.G. Richmond et al.
$331,999
2008 - 2010 Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Shoulder functional anatomy and development – implications for interpreting early hominin locomotion
National Science Foundation
Role: Co-P.I.
Colleague(s): B.G. Richmond (P.I.)
$15,000
2007 - 2010 Selective Excellence Graduate Fellowship and IGERT Program
GWU and NSF
2009 Shoulder functional anatomy and development – implications for interpreting early hominin locomotion
L.S.B. Leakey Foundation
General Research Grant for Ph.D candidates
Role: Co-P.I.
Colleague(s): B.G. Richmond (P.I.)
$1,600
2008 - 2009 Shoulder functional anatomy and development – implications for interpreting early hominin locomotion
Wenner-Gren Foundation
Dissertation Fieldwork Grant
Role: Co-P.I.
Colleague(s): B.G. Richmond (P.I.)
$5,460
2007 Cotlow Field Research Fund
GWU Anthropology Department
$500
2006 - 2007 Graduate Teaching Assistantship
GWU
2006 Graduate Teaching Assistantship
GWU
2006 Lewis and Clark Fund for Research and Exploration
American Philosophical Society
$2,800
2005 Grant-in-Aid of Research award
Sigma Xi, GWU Chapter
$500
2004 - 2005 Selective Excellence Graduate Fellowship and IGERT Program
GWU and NSF
$
to
Enter a valid date range.

Professional Service and Affiliations

2016 - Present Member, American Association of Anatomists
2004 - Present Member, American Association of Physical Anthropologists
2004 - Present Member, Paleoanthropological Society
2018 Member, Program Committee, American Association of Physical Anthropologists
2016 Member, Student Prize Committee, American Association of Physical Anthropologists
to
Enter a valid date range.

Honors and Awards

  • Earnest A. Hooton Prize, 78th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Chicago, IL. Factors contributing to hominoid shoulder morphology: muscle size, ontogeny, and behavior (MW Hamrick and BG Richmond, coauthors), 2009.

Courses

  • OMED 530, Anatomy
  • MSBS 506, Anatomy
  • MPAP 531, Anatomy and Physiology
  • DPT 704, Human Anatomy

Education

to
2010 Ph.D., George Washington University ‐ Hominid Paleobiology
to
2003 B.A., Duke University ‐ Biological Anthropology and Anatomy
to

Publications (27)

Abstracts (35)