The University of Western Australia

Adj/Prof Charles Oxnard

Adjunct Professor
Forensic Anthropology Group

Contact details

Address

Forensic Anthropology Group
The University of Western Australia (M309)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 8643

Fax

6488 1051

Email

charles.oxnard@uwa.edu.au

Qualifications

BSc MB ChB PhD DSc Birm., FCAS, FNYAS, FAAAS, FSCAS

Biography

Since retirement in 1987 Charles is Emeritus Professor (1997-death), Senior Honorary Research Fellow in Anatomy and Human Biology, and Adjunct Professor in Forensic Science. He has held a Leverhulme Professorship at UC, London (2001-2004) and is currently: Honorary Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy at the University of Liverpool, Honorary Professor of Anatomy at Hull/York Medical School, and Honorary Professor of Bioengineering at U. Hull. He has taught anatomy, anthropology and evolutionary biology to science students as well as medical students on three continents. His researches range from anatomical dissection, through mathematical and engineering modelling of anatomical structures, to Fast Fourier Transforms and Fast Lagrangian Analyses as applied to the architecture and biomechanics of bone. His more recent studies have involved mathematical approaches to species evolution, individual lineages, brain evolution, and the dwarfed Flores fossils.

He holds M.B, ChB, PhD, and DSc degrees from the University of Birmingham, UK, and undertook his first investigations with Professor Lord Zuckerman. He arrived in Australia in 1987 via 12 years each at the Universities of Birmingham, Chicago and Southern California.

He had £1.0 million research funding in the UK, and $3 million in the USA. In Australia from 1987 to 1997 he had over A$2.7 million research funding. Since retirement his grants have included two Leverhulme grants (2002-2007 held with UK collaborators), six ARC Large and Discovery Grants (1997-2012, some with collaborators), two Marie Curie Research Grants (2005-2008) held with collaborators in UK), and a BBSRC UK Research Grant (2007-2009 held with collaborators UK).

PRESENT APPOINTMENTS
University of Western Australia:
Emeritus Professor 1998-death.
Senior Honorary Research Fellow in Anatomy and Human Biology, 1998-2012
Adjunct Professor in the Forensic Science Centre 2007-2011
University of Liverpool, UK:
Hon. Prof. Human Anatomy, 2003-2009 (Renewable)
University of Hull, UK:
Hon. Prof. Bioengineering 2005-2009 (Renewable)
Hull and York Medical School, UK:
Hon. Prof. Anatomy, 2005-2009(Renewable)

QUALIFICATIONS:
BSc, (Ist Class) 1955; MB, ChB, (Richard's Memorial Prize), 1958. PhD, (Highly Commended), 1962. DSc, (Off.), Sci. & Engin., 1975.
Elected Fellowships:
FCAS (Fell. Chicago Acad. Sci.): Citation: For academic services 1976.
FAAAS (Fell. Amer. Assoc. Advance. Science): Citation: For contributions to zoology, especially morphological measurement and comparison 1983.
FNYAS (Fell. New York Acad. Sci.): Citation: For outstanding scientific achievements in anatomical sciences 1986.
FSCAS (Fellow, Vice-President, President Elect, South. Cal. Acad. Sci.): Citation: For distinction in science 1987.
Professional Licenses:
Registered Medical Practitioner, General Medical Council, UK, 1958.
Registered Medical Defence Union, UK, 1958.
Registered Overseas List, General Medical Council, UK 1966.

Key research

Functional, biomechanical, morphometric, evolutionary and systematic studies of primates, especially humans.

Relationships between structure of muscles and bones (morphometrics) and behaviour, environment and diet (niche-metrics).

Relationships between mechanical stress and anatomical architecture.

Relationship between molecular and morphological evolution.

Interface between function, genetics, development and evolution.

Modelling primate evolution: species lineages, individual lineages.

Structure of fossil hominines, australopithecines, sivapithecines and dryopithecines.

Evolution of the primate brain.

Structural sexual dimorphisms in primates.

Problem of size and shape in morphometrics.

Problem of interpretation in morphometrics.

Human disease: the anatomy of cretinism, osteoporosis, ageing.

Non-human disease: deficiency of vitamin B12.

Function, ageing and disease of ear ossicles.

Well-being in humans, especially in the Old.

Skeletal effects of cretinism

Anatomical and morphometric applications in Forensic Science.

Publications

Post retirement Total of 184 publications: 1 dedicated book, 13 books, monographs, edited volumes and edited volume series (including under contract), 67 papers, symposium articles and chapters in books, and 104 published scientific abstracts.
Ten Best Books:
1. 1973 Form and pattern in human evolution: some mathematical, physical and engineering approaches. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. 218 pp. (Oxnard)
2, 1973 Primate locomotion: some links with evolution and morphology. Karger, Basel. 93 pp. (Stern and Oxnard)
3. 1975 Uniqueness and diversity in human evolution: morphometric studies of australopithecines. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. 133 pp. (Oxnard)
4. 1983 The Order of Man: a biomathematical anatomy of the primates. Yale University Press and Hong Kong University Press. 366 pp. (Oxnard)
5. 1987 Fossils, Teeth and Sex: New Perspectives on Human Evolution. Hong Kong University Press. Hong Kong. Washington University Press. Seattle. 281 pp. (Oxnard)
6. 1990 Animal Lifestyles and Anatomies: the case of the Prosimian Primates. Washington University Press, Seattle. 184 pp. (Oxnard, Crompton, and Lieberman)
7. 2007 Anatomical Terms and their Derivations. World Scientific Publications. Singapore, New Jersey, London and Hong Kong. (Lisowski and Oxnard)
8. 2008 Ghostly Muscles, Wrinkled Brains, Heresies and Hobbits. World Scientific Publications. Singapore, New Jersey, London and Hong Kong. (Oxnard).
9. 2010 (in press) Human Anatomy: Scientific Underpinnings. Wiley.
10. Similarity and Difference in Human evolution. (In preparation).
Ten best career papers:
1. Oxnard and O’Higgins, 2009, Biology certainly needs Morphometrics. Does Morphometrics need Biology? Biological Theory 4 (1): 84-97. Indicates the need for a new addition to the geometric morphometric tool box to take account of non-elastic changes and differences between individuals and species. Supported by ARC Large Grant, A00104637 and ARC Discovery Grants, DP05557157 and DP1092538.
2. Obendorf, Oxnard and Kefford, 2008. Are the small human-like fossils found on Flores human endemic cretins? Proc. Roy. Soc. B 275: 1287-1296. Supplies a new hypothesis about Homo floresiensis and highlights the world-wide problem of iodine deficiency, especially in South East Asia. Supported by ARC Discovery Grants DP05557157 and DP1092538.
3. Oxnard and Franklin, 2008. Ghosts of the past, I and II. Folia Primatol. 79: 429-457. Demonstrates how anatomical variations in human adults are tests of developmental and evolutionary hypotheses. Supported by ARC Large Grants, A00104637 and A00104637
4. Oxnard, 2004. Thoughts on Bone Biomechanics. Folia Primatol. 75: 189-201. Demonstrates a new difference between theoretical two-dimensional architectural and mechanical analyses of bones and the architectural and mechanical actualities in three-dimensions. Supported by ARC Large Grants A19803638, A19700953 and A00104637.
5. Oxnard, 2001. Morphometrics of the primate skeleton and the functional and developmental underpinnings of species diversity. Linnean Soc. Symp. Ser. 20: 235-264. Shows how statistical studies of anatomical, dietary, activity, ecological and environmental data can test hypotheses in development and evolution, and can provide new hypotheses for both evolutionary and developmental Biologists. Supported by ARC Large Grants, A19803638 and A19700953.
6. de Winter and Oxnard, 2001. Evolutionary radiations and convergences in the structural organization of mammalian brains. Nature, 409: 710-714. Demonstrates the importance of function in the macroscopic organisation of mammal brains, and the enormous statistical separation of human brains from all other primate brains.
7. Oxnard, 1993 Bone and bones, architecture and stress, fossils and osteoporosis. J. Biomech. 26: 63-79. Outlines the implications of theoretical biomechanics for practical problems in biological evolution, clinical medicine and forensic science.
8. Wu and Oxnard, 1983. Ramapithecines from China: evidence from tooth dimensions. Nature, 301: 258-260. These fossils, now known as Lufengpithecus, are shown, by statistical analysis, to be two species, each with sexual dimorphism..
9. Oxnard, 1978. The place of the australopithecines in human evolution: grounds for doubt? Nature, 258: 389-395. Morphometric studies imply that australopithecines are not straight forward human bipeds – not at the time accepted – but generally accepted today.
Lifetime Total of 544 publications: 1 dedicated book, 31 books, monographs, edited volumes and edited volume series (including under contract), 262 papers, symposium articles and chapters in books (together with works in progress) and 259 published scientific abstracts.
Book dedicated to Charles Oxnard:
2001 Shaping Human Evolution. Eds F. Anapol, R. Z. German and N. Jablonski. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 426 pp.

Roles, responsibilities and expertise

Full-time research
Publications of papers and books
Obtaining research grants both in Australia and UK
Research collaborations with overseas colleagues (UK, Switzerland, Austria)
Mentoring of younger faculty colleagues
Research supervision of graduate students and post docs
Teaching when invited.
NO ADMINISTRATION

Future research

Bones, Morphometrics, Biomechanics, Evolutionary Biology, Cretinism, Forensic Science, all continuing.

Funding received

RESEARCH FUNDS SINCE RETIRMENET 1997-present:
ARC: Morphometrics/Macaques, $145,000, 1997-2000.
ARC: Evo-devo studies , $200,000, 1998-2001.
ARC: Neurometrics with de Winter), $7,000, 2000.
Leverhulme Vis. Prof. $90,000), 2000-2003.
M.H.R.I.F.: $20,000, 2001
ARC: Modelling Human Origins, $200,000, 2001-2004
M.H.R.I.F.: $19,000, 2002
UWA Res. Gr. (with Pan) China Coll. $7,000, 2002
M.H.R.I.F.: $14,000, 2003
Leverhulme Res. Proj. (O'Higgins, Crompton, Fagan and Oxnard), £220,000, 2003-2006
ARC Disc. (Oxnard, Dadour, and O’Higgins), Forensic Science, $ 293,000, 2005-2008.
Marie Curie Res. Grant, UK, PALAEO (with O’Higgins and others) £220,000, 2005-2008.
Marie Curie Res. Grant, UK, EVAN (with O’Higgins and others) £220,000, 2005-2008.
Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation, Lannigan, Mitchell, Milne and Oxnard, $16,095, 2005-2006.
ARC Disc. (Watling, Oxnard and Dadour) Forensic Science $ 490,000, 2007-2009.
BBSRC Research Grant, UK, (O’Higgins, Fagan, Phillips, Elton & Oxnard), The Macaque face, £1.5 million, 2007-2009.
M.H.R.I.F.: $14,000, 2009
ARC Disc. (Franklin, Oxnard, Watling, Cardini, O'Higgins Hoogwewerf, Green and Marks) Forensic Science $ 490,000, 2010-2012.

Industrial relevance

Medical, Forensic and Museum Relevance - see research areas

Languages

English, American and Australian - understood, only English - spoken.

Memberships

Selected list:
Elected Fellowships:
FCAS (Fell. Chicago Acad. Sci.): Citation: For academic services 1976.
FAAAS (Fell. Amer. Assoc. Advance. Science): Citation: For contributions to zoology, especially morphological measurement and comparison 1983.
FNYAS (Fell. New York Acad. Sci.): Citation: For outstanding scientific achievements in anatomical sciences 1986.
FSCAS (Fellow, Vice-President, President Elect, South. Cal. Acad. Sci.): Citation: For distinction in science 1987.

Honours and awards

Selected list:
Chancellor’s Medal, UWA, 2008.
Konrad Lorenz Institute, Vienna, 2008.
Series Editor, Recent Adv. Human Biol. Vols. 1-7, 1994 – present, World Scientific, Singapore.
Adv. on Human Biol. World Scientific, Singapore 1993 – present.
Member, Aus. Spinal Res. Found. Melb. 2007–2010.
Novartis Foundation, London, 2006.
Dedicatee of Book: Shaping Human Evolution, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Wiley Book Award: for “Human Structure: The Scientific Basis of Human Anatomy.”, A$ 2,500, 2005.
Leverhulme Professorship. U.C. London, & U. Liverpool, A$ 90.000, 2001-2004.
Lo Yuk Tong Found. Lect., Hong Kong Uni. 2003.
Darwin Award, Lifetime Achieve. Anthr. USA, 2001.
Lo Yuk Tong Found Award, Hong Kong Uni., 1994.
Chair, Pasteur Foundation Awards Committee, Presented Pasteur Award to Le Roy Hood, Molecular Biology, 1987.
Britannica Book of Year: The Order of Man, 1985.
Phi Kappa Phi Book, The Order of Man, 1984.
Prem. Acad. Book, H.K., The Order of Man, 1984.
S.-T. Huang-Chan Mem. Medal, H.K. Uni., 1981.
Lo Yuk Tong Found. Award, H.K. Uni., 1973.
Ciba Found. Lect., Queen Square, London, UK, 1966.

Previous positions

PRINCIPAL PAST APPOINTMENTS
University of Western Australia:
Established Chair, Anat. and Human Biol. 1987-97.
Head, Div. Science and Agriculture, 1990-1992.
The University of Southern California:
University Professor (1 of 5 in Uni.), 1978-1987.
Dean of the Graduate School, 1978-83.
The University of Chicago:
Professor of Anat. Anthro. & Evol. Biol. 1966-78.
Dean, College (Letters, Arts and Sci. 1973-78.
Associate Dean, Medical School, 1972-73.
The University of Birmingham, U.K.:
Uni. Res. Fellow, Lect., Senior Lect. 1959-66.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, U.K.:
House Physician to Drs. Smallwood and Hawkins, General Medicine and Rheumatology, 1959.
House Surgeon, Prof. Stammers, General Surgery, and Mr. Donovan, Orthopaedics, 1958.

Patents

None

Teaching

Recent Teaching Only:
Anatomy to 1st and 2nd year medical students (occasional as requested): UWA.
Clinical Anatomy, 5th yr med. stud. (occasional as requested): U.W.A.
Human growth, human biology, primate anatomy, biomechanics, evolution: 3rd yr science students (as requested) UWA.
Lectures and practicals to Forensic Science students (as requested) UWA.
Post-doctoral and graduate student supervision in Human Biology and Forensic Science, UWA.
Post-graduate seminars: res. topics as Leverhulme Professor at U.C.Lond., U. Liverpool,
U. York, Hull/York Med. School [HYMS], U. Hull, U. Vienna, and Konrad Lorenz Instit, Austria.

Current external positions

University of Liverpool, UK:
Hon. Prof. Human Anatomy, 2003-2009 (Renewable)
University of Hull, UK:
Hon. Prof. Bioengineering 2005-2009 (Renewable)
Hull/York Medical School, UK:
Hon. Prof. Anatomy, 2005-2009(Renewable)

New and noteworthy

Most recent Book:
Ghostly Muscles, Wrinkled Brains, Heresies and Hobbits: World Scientific Press, 2008
Most recent research:
Was Homo floresiensis a human cretin? 2008

Current projects

New morphometric methods, New biomechanical methods, Anatomy of Cretinism, Books on Scientific Foundations of Human Anatomy, and Similarities and Differences in Human Evolution.

Research profile

Research profile and publications