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Why Menopause Exists: An Anthropological Question That Shaped My Academic Goals
For most animals, reproduction continues until the end of life. Humans are unusual. Women can live decades after their last reproductive event. This biological pattern raises a fundamental question that fascinated me while reading Menopause by biological anthropologist Lynette Sievert: Why would evolution favor a long post-reproductive lifespan? Menopause is often discussed in modern medicine primarily as a hormonal transition accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes, sle
Leah Berger
Mar 153 min read


Learning from Lucy: The Iconic Fossil that Changed our Preconceived Notions of Evolution
Over the summer, I took a fascinating edX course called DartmouthX: Bipedalism: The Science of Upright Walking. It explored one of the most defining traits of being human: walking on two legs. The course covered the biomechanics, evolutionary pressures, and anatomical trade-offs of bipedalism, but what stood out most was the focus on Lucy, one of the most iconic hominin fossils ever found. Lucy, formally known as Australopithecus afarensis, lived about 3.2 million years ago i
Leah Berger
Dec 8, 20252 min read
How Sapiens Changed the Way I See Humanity
I first picked up Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari back in middle school. At the time, I was fascinated by the...
Leah Berger
Oct 9, 20252 min read
Microbes, Cities, and Culture: How My Research Bridges Biology and Anthropology
So sorry I’ve been away for so long—life got busy, but I’m excited to share something new! Recently, I worked on a research project...
Leah Berger
Sep 21, 20252 min read
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