Yohannes Haile-Selassie
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Phone: 602-543-4338
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ISTB7 206D 777 E. University Drive, 2nd Floor Tempe, AZ 85287-8404
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Mail code: 8404Campus: Tempe
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Yohannes Haile-Selassie is the Virginia M. Ullman Chair of Human Origins and Director of the Institute of Human Origins (IHO) at Arizona State University. He received his Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley, in 2001. Dr. Haile-Selassie’s primary research interest lies in understanding the paleobiology and paleoecology of early human ancestors through the fossil record. He is the principal investigator of an international multidisciplinary team conducting fieldwork at a site called Woranso-Mille, located in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. His fossil discoveries have greatly advanced our understanding of human origins by filling critical gaps in the fossil record. He has published numerous papers in leading scientific journals such as Science, Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, as well as in many specialty journals. His discoveries have been recognized globally: Science magazine named Ardipithecus ramidus the “Breakthrough of the Year” in 2009, and Discover magazine listed his naming of Australopithecus deyiremeda among the top 100 science discoveries of 2015. In 2019, Nature recognized him as one of “Ten People Who Mattered in Science” for his discovery of the first complete cranium of Australopithecus anamensis. Dr. Haile-Selassie is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an Associate Fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, and a member of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.
- Ph.D. Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley
Early hominin paleobiology, Mid-Pliocene hominin diversity, paleoecology, adaptation/niche differentiation, Origin of Homo
(selected)
2023 Frost, S.R., Jablonski, N.G., Haile-Selassie, Y. The earliest most complete skeleton of Theropithecus. Journal of Human Evolution, 180, 103370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103370
2022 Haile-Selassie, Y., Saylor, B.Z., Alene, M., Deino, A., Gibert, L., and Schwartz, G.T. Comparative description and taxonomic affinity of 3.7-million-year-old hominin mandibles from Woranso-Mille (Ethiopia). Journal of Human Evolution, 173, 103265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103265
2021 Su, D., and Haile-Selassie, Y. Mosaic habitats at Woranso-Mille (Ethiopia) during the Pliocene and implications for Australopithecus paleoecology and taxonomic diversity. Journal of Human Evolution, 163, 103076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103076
2021 Melillo, S.M., Gibert, L., Saylor, B.Z., Deino, A., Alene, M., Levin, N.E., Ryan, T.M., and Haile-Selassie, Y. New hominin remains from Leado Dido’a area of Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia. Journal of Human Evolution, 153, 102956.
2019 Haile-Selassie, Y., Melillo, S.M., Vazzana, A., Benazzi, S., and Ryan, T.M. A 3.8-million-year-old hominin cranium from Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia. Nature 573, 214–219. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1513-8.
2019 Saylor, B.Z., Gibert, L., Deino, A., Alene, M., Levin, N.E., Melillo, S.M., Peaple, M.D., Feakins, S.J., Bourel, B., Barboni, D., Novello, A., Sylvestre, F., Mertzman, S.A., and Haile-Selassie, Y. Age and context of mid-Pliocene hominin cranium from Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia. Nature 573, 220–224. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1514-7.
2019 Haile-Selassie, Y., and Ryan, T.M. Comparative description and taxonomy of new hominin juvenile mandibles from the Pliocene of Woranso-Mille (Central Afar, Ethiopia). Journal of Human Evolution 132, 15-31.
2019 Reda, H.G., Lazagabaster, I., and Haile-Selassie, Y. Newly discovered crania of Nyanzachoerus jaegeri (Tetraconodontinae, Suidae, Mammalia) from the Woranso-Mille (Ethiopia) and reappraisal of its generic status. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 26, 179–199. DOI 10.1007/s10914-017-9398-5.
2017 Alene, M., Hart, W.K., Saylor, B.Z., Deino, A., Mertzman, S., Haile-Selassie, Y., and Gibert, L.B. Geochemistry of Woranso-Mille Pliocene basalts from westcentral Afar, Ethiopia: Implications for mantle source characteristics and rift evolution. Lithos 282-283, 187-200.
2017 Haile-Selassie, Y., and Ryan, T.M. Corrigendum to “Dentognathic remains of Australopithecus afarensis from Nefuraytu (Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia): Comparative description, geology, and paleoecological context” [J Hum Evol 100 (2016) 35–53]. Journal of Human Evolution 102, 81.
2016 Haile-Selassie, Y., Melillo, S.M., Ryan, T.M., Levin, N.E., Saylor, B.Z., Deino, A., Mundill, R., Scott, G., Alene, M., and Gibert, L. Dentognathic remains of Australopithecus afarensis from Nefuraytu (Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia): Comparative description, geology, and paleoecological context. Journal of Human Evolution 100, 35-53.
2016 Curran, S. C. and Haile-Selassie, Y. Paleoecological Reconstruction of Hominin-bearing Middle Pliocene Localities at Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia. Journal of Human Evolution 96, 97–112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.04.002.
2016 Haile-Selassie, Y., Melillo, S.M., and Su, D.F. The Pliocene hominin diversity conundrum: Do more fossils mean less clarity? Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 113(23), 6364–6371. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1521266113.
2016 Saylor, B.Z., Angelini, J., Deino, A., Alene, M., Fournelle, J.H., and HaileSelassie, Y. Tephrostratigraphy of the Waki-Mille area of the Woranso-Mille Paleoanthropological research project, Afar, Ethiopia. Journal of Human Evolution 93, 25–45.
2015 Levin, N.E., Haile-Selassie, Y., Frost, S., and Saylor, B.Z. Dietary change among hominins and cercopithecids in Ethiopia during the mid-Pliocene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 112, 12304–12309. Doi:10.1073/pnas.1424982112
2015 Haile-Selassie, Y., Gibert, L., Melillo, S.M., Ryan, T.M., Alene, M., Deino, A., Levin, N.E., Scott, G., and Saylor, B.Z. New species from Ethiopia further expands middle Pliocene hominin diversity. Nature 521, 483-488. Doi: 10.1038/nature14448.
2015 Haile-Selassie, Y., and Melillo, S.M. Middle Pliocene hominin mandibular fourth premolars from Woranso-Mille (Central Afar, Ethiopia). Journal of Human Evolution 78, 44-59. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.08.005.
- Annual fieldwork at Woranso-Mille, Afar Region, Ethiopia
- Laboratory research at the Paleoanthropology Laboratory in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Courses
2026 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
2025 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominins |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominins |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominins |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
2025 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominins |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominins |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominins |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
2024 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominids |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominids |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominids |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
2023 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominids |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominids |
| ASM 344 | Fossil Hominids |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 592 | Research |