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Draft:Cara Wall-Scheffler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cara M. Wall-Scheffler
Alma materSeattle Pacific University (BA) University of Cambridge (MPhil, PhD)
AwardsFellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2023)
Scientific career
FieldsBiological anthropology Human evolution
InstitutionsSeattle Pacific University University of Washington
ThesisCoastal ungulates: The seasonal use of ibex and Barbary sheep among Mediterranean hominins (2005)
Robert A. Foley
Websitewallscheffler.wordpress.com

Cara Wall-Scheffler is an American biological anthropologist. She is a biology professor and division lead for the natural sciences at Seattle Pacific University and affiliate faculty in the University of Washington anthropology department. Her work focuses primarily on the evolution of human sexual dimorphism in the context of balancing the pressures of reproduction, thermoregulation, and long-distance locomotion.

Education and Career

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Wall-Scheffler graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology, Anthropology, and Literature from Seattle Pacific University in 2000. She did her graduate work in Biological Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, earning her MPhil in 2001, and – as a Gates Cambridge Scholar[1] – completing her PhD in 2005 on mobility strategies of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens during global climate change.[2] As a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wall-Scheffler expanded her interest in human mobility to include how morphological, physiological, and kinematic factors interact to produce the locomotor tasks that humans accomplish, including intersections with life history, biological sex, and gender. She began a faculty position in the biology department at Seattle Pacific University in 2007, served as department chair for several years, and now leads the division of natural sciences.

In 2023, Wall-Scheffler was Visiting Professor of Anthropology at Charles University in Prague, Czechia as a Fulbright Senior Scholar.[3]

Wall-Scheffler was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2023.[4]

Work

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Major impacts

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Wall-Scheffler’s research addresses large-scale anthropological questions that typically connect ideas across traditional disciplinary boundaries; this approach has led to paradigm-challenging contributions in several areas:

  • In a series of papers[5][6][7][8], Wall-Scheffler and colleagues demonstrated that humans have an optimal running speed (a particular speed where they use less energy to travel a given distance), just as quadrupeds do, undermining one of the key assumptions of the endurance running hypothesis.
  • Although common formulations of the “obstetrical dilemma” have argued that relatively wider pelves in human females should compromise their locomotor effectiveness, Wall-Scheffler has overturned this assumption through a systematic exploration of the relationships between pelvic morphology, metabolic cost, thermoregulation, and walking dynamics in humans, particularly while carrying children or other loads.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] [18]She has shown that human females are both more economical (use less energy) and more efficient (use less energy per unit of mass to go a given distance) than males, due to their relatively broader pelves, smaller body size, higher surface area, and distinct thermoregulatory mechanisms.
  • In a widely publicized[19][20][21][22][23][24] [25][26][27][28][29][30] and highly cited 2023 study[31], Wall-Scheffler and her team analyzed global ethnographic data and found that women actively hunt in at least 79% of the foraging societies sampled. This comprehensive narrative showcased the understanding that women hunt across human small-scale societies, thus re-directing notions of a sex-based division of labor (i.e., men hunting while women gathered).

Public engagement

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Wall-Scheffler’s published research on mobility in humans frequently catches the attention of the public and press: for example, how people walking together modulate their speed choices depending upon their relationship type and sex[32][33] as well as where they live[34], or how much energy it takes to run with a stroller[35], or how females in small-scale societies have been integral to both the gathering of food and hunting and fishing[20][36]. To further engage the scientific community and wider public in these ideas, Wall-Scheffler also contributes essays to online science magazines[37][38], does radio and podcast interviews[39][40], and gives public lectures and keynote addresses[41][42][43][44]

Wall-Scheffler is also active in scholarship integrating faith and science through her work with organizations like BioLogos, the Faraday Institute, and the John Templeton Foundation[45][46][47][48]

Select publications

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Books / Book chapters

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Wall-Scheffler, Cara M.; Kurki, Helen K.; Auerbach, Benjamin M. (2020). The evolutionary biology of the human pelvis: An integrative approach (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology, Series Number 85). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107199576.

Wall-Scheffler, Cara M. (2014). The balance between burden carrying, variable terrain, and thermoregulatory pressures in assessing morphological variation. In: Carlson, K., Marchi, D. (eds). Reconstructing mobility: Environmental, behavioral, and morphological determinants (pp. 173-192). Springer, Boston, MA.

Articles

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References

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  1. ↑ "Biography | Gates Cambridge". Gates Cambridge -. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  2. ↑ "Coastal ungulates : the seasonal use of ibex and Barbary sheep among Mediterranean hominins | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  3. ↑ "Cara Wall-Scheffler | Fulbright Scholar Program". fulbrightscholars.org. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  4. ↑ "2023 AAAS Fellows | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)". American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  5. ↑ Steudel-Numbers, Karen L.; Wall-Scheffler, Cara M. (2009). "Optimal running speed and the evolution of hominin hunting strategies". Journal of Human Evolution. 56 (4): 355–360. Bibcode:2009JHumE..56..355S. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.11.002. PMID 19297009.
  6. ↑ Willcockson, Michael A.; Wall-Scheffler, Cara M. (2012). "Reconsidering the Effects of Respiratory Constraints on the Optimal Running Speed". Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 44 (7): 1344–1350. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e318248d907. ISSN 0195-9131. PMID 22217570.
  7. ↑ Rathkey, Joseph K.; Wall-Scheffler, Cara M. (2017-05-01). "People choose to run at their optimal speed". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 163 (1): 85–93. Bibcode:2017AJPA..163...85R. doi:10.1002/ajpa.23187. ISSN 1096-8644. PMID 28195301.
  8. ↑ Selinger, Jessica C.; Hicks, Jennifer L.; Jackson, Rachel W.; Wall-Scheffler, Cara M.; Chang, Derek; Delp, Scott L. (2022-05-23). "Running in the wild: Energetics explain ecological running speeds". Current Biology. 32 (10): 2309–2315.e3. Bibcode:2022CBio...32E2309S. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.076. ISSN 0960-9822. PMC 9169516. PMID 35487220.
  9. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, C.m.; Geiger, K.; Steudel-Numbers, K.l. (2007). "Infant carrying: The role of increased locomotory costs in early tool development". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 133 (2): 841–846. Bibcode:2007AJPA..133..841W. doi:10.1002/ajpa.20603. ISSN 1096-8644. PMID 17427923.
  10. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara M.; Chumanov, Elizabeth; Steudel-Numbers, Karen; Heiderscheit, Bryan (2010). "Electromyography activity across gait and incline: The impact of muscular activity on human morphology". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 143 (4): 601–611. Bibcode:2010AJPA..143..601W. doi:10.1002/ajpa.21356. ISSN 1096-8644. PMC 3011859. PMID 20623603.
  11. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara M. (2012). "Energetics, Locomotion, and Female Reproduction: Implications for Human Evolution". Annual Review of Anthropology. 41: 71–85. doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-092611-145739. ISSN 0084-6570.
  12. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara M. (2012). "Size and Shape: Morphology′s Impact on Human Speed and Mobility". Journal of Anthropology. 2012 (1) 340493. doi:10.1155/2012/340493. ISSN 2090-4053.
  13. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara M.; Myers, Marcella J. (2013). "Reproductive costs for everyone: How female loads impact human mobility strategies". Journal of Human Evolution. 64 (5): 448–456. Bibcode:2013JHumE..64..448W. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.01.014. PMC 3771649. PMID 23465336.
  14. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara M. (2014), "The Balance Between Burden Carrying, Variable Terrain, and Thermoregulatory Pressures in Assessing Morphological Variation", in Carlson, Kristian J.; Marchi, Damiano (eds.), Reconstructing Mobility: Environmental, Behavioral, and Morphological Determinants, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 173–192, doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-7460-0_10, ISBN 978-1-4899-7460-0, retrieved 2026-06-17
  15. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara M.; Myers, Marcella J. (2017). "The Biomechanical and Energetic Advantages of a Mediolaterally Wide Pelvis in Women". The Anatomical Record. 300 (4): 764–775. doi:10.1002/ar.23553. ISSN 1932-8494. PMID 28297181.
  16. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara M.; Kurki, Helen K.; Auerbach, Benjamin Miller (2020). The evolutionary biology of the human pelvis: an integrative approach. Cambridge studies in biological and evolutionary anthropology. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge university press. ISBN 978-1-107-19957-6.
  17. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara M. (2022). "Women carry for less: body size, pelvis width, loading position and energetics". Evolutionary Human Sciences. 4 e36. doi:10.1017/ehs.2022.35. ISSN 2513-843X. PMC 10426031. PMID 37588931.
  18. ↑ Falk, Dean (2024-11-30). The Botanic Age: Planting the Seeds of Human Evolution. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-4875-4774-5.
  19. ↑ Landenmark, Hanna (2023-12-20). "Editor's Picks - Highlights of 2023". EveryONE. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  20. 1 2 Jaber, Inés Gutiérrez (2026-06-15). "For Decades we Believed in the Myth of the Alpha Male, but the Evidence Tells a Different Story". TecScience. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  21. ↑ Miller, Katrina (2023-08-01). "Move Over, Men: Women Were Hunters, Too". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  22. ↑ Elitsa (2024-01-30). "Why are women hunters important?". Science Journal for Kids and Teens. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  23. ↑ Flam, Faye (October 17, 2023). "The 'Man The Hunter' Myth Won't Go Away". Noema Magazine.
  24. ↑ Aizenman, Nurith (2023-07-01). "Men are hunters, women are gatherers. That was the assumption. A new study upends it". NPR. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  25. ↑ Gray, Sophie (2023-08-07). "The man, the myth, the hunter: A scientific fairytale?". The Oxford Scientist. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  26. ↑ "Putting the man-hunter and woman-gatherer myth to the sword, and the electron's dipole moment gets closer to zero". www.science.org. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  27. ↑ Pattie Ehsaei (2023-12-04). The Rise of the Huntress: Breaking Evolutionary Stereotypes with Cara Wall-Scheffler. Retrieved 2026-06-17 – via YouTube.
  28. ↑ Bollen, Alex (2025-03-04). Motherdom: Breaking Free from Bad Science and Good Mother Myths. Verso Books. ISBN 978-1-80429-755-1.
  29. ↑ Huska, Liuan (2020-12-08). Hurting Yet Whole: Reconciling Body and Spirit in Chronic Pain and Illness. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 978-0-8308-4808-9.
  30. ↑ Calarco, Jessica (2024-06-04). Holding It Together: How Women Became America's Safety Net. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-593-53812-8.
  31. ↑ Anderson, Abigail; Chilczuk, Sophia; Nelson, Kaylie; Ruther, Roxanne; Wall-Scheffler, Cara (2023-06-28). "The Myth of Man the Hunter: Women's contribution to the hunt across ethnographic contexts". PLOS ONE. 18 (6) e0287101. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1887101A. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0287101. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 10306201. PMID 37379261.
  32. ↑ "Men Slow Down for Love". NBC News. 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  33. ↑ X (2013-10-23). "Walk this way: Men slow down when sex is at stake". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  34. ↑ Reynolds, Gretchen (2018-09-19). "Faster. Slower. How We Walk Depends on Who We Walk With, and Where We Live". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  35. ↑ Reynolds, Gretchen (2017-08-24). "How to Run With a Jogging Stroller". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  36. ↑ Ryssdal, Kai; Burdette, Livi. "Debunking the myth of the male hunter". www.marketplace.org. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  37. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara (2024-05-08). "Everyday life and its variability influenced human evolution at least as much as rare activities like big-game hunting". The Conversation. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  38. ↑ Wall-Scheffler, Cara (2022-09-14). "Walking Women Evolve". Anthropology News. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  39. ↑ "Busting the hunter, gatherer gender myth". ABC listen. 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  40. ↑ Last Born in the Wilderness (2023-08-04). Cara Wall-Scheffler: Human Locomotion & The Diversity Of Foraging Societies. Retrieved 2026-06-17 – via YouTube.
  41. ↑ ASB EXE (2021-08-16). vASB2021: Keynote#1 - Dr. Cara Wall-Scheffler. Retrieved 2026-06-17 – via YouTube.
  42. ↑ Int'l Women in Biomechanics IWB (2020-12-07). IWB Dec 2020 Meeting: Dr. Cara Wall-Scheffler. Retrieved 2026-06-17 – via YouTube.
  43. ↑ SPU Video (2023-01-17). Lynwood Swanson Award Winner: Professor Cara Wall-Scheffler. Retrieved 2026-06-17 – via YouTube.
  44. ↑ Integrative Biology - Oregon State University (2026-05-28). Integrative Biology Grad Invited Speaker - Cara Wall-Scheffler. Retrieved 2026-06-17 – via YouTube.
  45. ↑ "Ancient Humans | Becoming ourselves (Paleolithic) - Podcast Episode - BioLogos". BioLogos. Archived from the original on 2025-10-02. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  46. ↑ "Ancient Humans | Becoming spiritual (Neolithic) - Podcast Episode - BioLogos". BioLogos. Archived from the original on 2025-10-02. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  47. ↑ The Faraday Institute (2020-07-01). Does the Evolutionary Anthropology Show That Humans are Distinctive?. Retrieved 2026-06-17 – via YouTube.
  48. ↑ The Faraday Institute (2025-08-19). Human Anthropology and the Origins of Religion - Dr Cara Wall-Scheffler. Retrieved 2026-06-17 – via YouTube.
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