B. PATRICK FAHEY, PhD

Archaeologist and Paleoanthropologist

I research the evolution of human ecology and subsistence, specializing in zooarchaeology, taphonomy, and paleoecology.

I am currently a lecturer at the University of Colorado Denver, Anthropology Department.

Contact me at:
brian.fahey@ucdenver.edu

Humans are a very unique type of primate. Over the course of our evolution, hominins evolved from groups of largely herbivorous primates that were often prey, into members of the predator guild and ultimately rising to apex predators -- all the while maintaining extraordinary flexibility in the types of plant and animal they could consume. This trophic ascension and adaptability allowed Homo sapiens to migrate out of Africa and rapidly thrive in every terrestrial biome across the globe.

I research how this evolutionary history played out and the impact of the resulting human ecological dominance by analyzing animal remains from archaeological sites. I identify the species that humans lived among and discover long-term changes in how they exploited prey. This allows me to reconstruct how ancient humans interacted with — and increasingly shaped — their ecological communities.

View my full CV here

PUBLICATIONS

2026. Fahey, B. Patrick and Curtis Marean.

Diaphysis cortical thickness as a predictor of body-size in terrestrial mammals and its application to zooarchaeology. Journal of Archaeological Science. 186, 106456.

2026. Jessica I. Cerezo-Román, Elizabeth Sawchuk, Flora Schilt, Alex Bertacchi, Gina Buckley, Edwin Chibisa, B. Patrick Fahey, Sofia Gunilla, Hedman Falchenberg, Potiphar Kaliba, Douglas J. Kennett, Julio Mercader, Justin Pargeter, Jay Stock, Ryan Szymanski, Jessica C. Thompson.

Earliest Evidence for Intentional Cremation of Human Remains in Africa. Science Advances. 12(1), eadz9554.

2026. S. Moodley, N.A. Alarcon, M.M. Banda, L. Bustamante, M.L. Esekon, B. Patrick Fahey, S.J. Kalenda, R.J. Kaptai, M. Kiprotich, K. Koski, K.D. Martin, G. Mauran, A. McGrath, M.T. Niekerk, A. Ntsondwa, J. Pargeter, N.M. Sephooana, G.L. Wong. Energetic yields of springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) marrow from long bones: a co-produced experimental study from the Boomplaas Cave field school. Southern African Field Archaeology. 21, 4983.

2025. Jacobs, Zenobia, Panagiotis Karkanas, B. Patrick Fahey, Erich C. Fisher, Curtis W. Marean

A high-resolution chronology for the archaeological deposits at Pinnacle Point 5-6, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews.

2023. Brooke, Chris F., Curtis W. Marean, Colin D. Wren, Sean Bergin, B. Patrick Fahey, and Jan A. Venter

Drivers of large mammal distribution: an overview and modelling approach for palaeoecological reconstructions of extinct ecosystems. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 141:3, 307-322.

2020. Hodgkins, Jamie, Curtis W. Marean, Jan A. Venter, Leesha Richardson, Patrick Roberts, Jana Zech, Mark Difford, Sandi R. Copeland, Caley M. Orr, Hannah May Keller, B. Patrick Fahey, and Julia A. Lee-Thorp

An isotopic test of the seasonal migration hypothesis for large grazing ungulates inhabiting the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain. Quaternary Science Reviews 235, 106221.

2020. Patton, Paul, and B. Patrick Fahey

Moving Beyond the Question: Were the Hopewell Really Farmers? Evidence from the Hocking Valley, Ohio. In Encountering Hopewell in the Twenty-first Century, Ohio and Beyond: Volume Two: Settlements, Foodways, and Interaction edited by Brian Redmond, Bret Ruby, and Jarrod Burks, University of Akron Press, pp. 248-275.

SELECTED GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS

Fulbright Research Fellowship to South Africa (2024)

RECENT RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

LABORATORY

Faunal Analysis — Pinnacle Point 5-6, South Africa (2019-2025)

Faunal Analysis — Kobeh Cave, Iran (2018-2023)

Bovidae/Equidae Dental Analysis — Black Earth Cave, South Africa (2019)

FIELD

Co-Director of Excavations — Archaeological excavation of Guiceva Spilja and Magareca Spilja (Vis, Croatia) (2026-Present)

Senior Site Technician — Archaeological excavation of Boomplaas Cave (South Africa) with Cango Valley Archaeology and Paleoscape Project (2024-2025)

Field Technician — Archaeological excavation and site maintenance of KEH-1 (South Africa) as part of the Knysna Archaeology Project (2019, 2022)

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH

With a background in art and information design, I specialize in distilling complex scientific ideas into visuals and stories that are engaging and accessible to broad audiences. View Design Portfolio.

SELECTED PUBLIC OUTREACH EXPERIENCE

Letter Writer — Letters to Pre-Scientists, corresponded with middle schoolers from low-income schools to stimulate interest in STEM (2025)

Explorer — Reach the World, Published articles about paleoanthropology, ecology, and South Africa for elementary school audience and video conferences with 4th grade classrooms. Named “traveler of the week” (2024)

Exhibitor — Garden Route Annual Youth Expo. Spoke about research opportunities in archaeology and promote foreign exchange programs between South African and the US. Event attended by over 700 South African students (June 7, 2024)

Volunteer Scientist — Meet the Scientist, Arizona Museum of Natural History. Ran table with interactive activities to engage Phoenix Valley public with human evolution (2019, 2021, 2022)

After-school Program Leader — Graduate Partners in Science Education (GPSE) mentor for after-school science club at Tempe Academy. Ran weekly science club servicing middle schoolers culminating in Phoenix-wide science fair (2018-2019)

QUEER ADVOCACY IN STEM

I aim to empower fellow members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as other marginalized groups, to thrive in STEM and academia. I’ve mentored LGBTQIA+ students as a laboratory supervisor and as a graduate facilitator with the HUES LGBTQIA+ Group in ASU’s CIRCLES program. I served as president of Out in STEM (oSTEM) @ ASU (2019–2021) and on the Change + Community Advisory Board for LGBTQIA+ Research (2022–2024).

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