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Yoel Rak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yoel Rak
NationalityGerman-Israeli
Known forMember of Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
AwardsIgor Orenstein Chair
Scientific career
FieldsPaleoanthropology
Anatomy
Anthropology

Yoel Rak is an Israeli anatomist, paleoanthropologist and researcher.[1] He is a professor emeritus in the Department of Anatomy and Anthropology at Tel Aviv University's School of Medicine.[2] Rak is an academic reviewer for several journals, including the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Nature, Current Anthropology, and the Journal of Human Evolution.

Research areas

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Yoel Rak’s academic focus is on human anatomy and evolution. His research focuses on facial anatomy and, closely related to this, the biomechanics of the masticatory system—that is, the interaction of bones and muscles in the head region—as well as the biomechanics of upright walking.

Yoel Rak’s second area of research focuses on Neanderthal remains found in the territory of Israel. For extended periods, this region was simultaneously inhabited by Neanderthals migrating from the north and modern humans (Homo sapiens) arriving from the south. Both groups alternated in occupying the same caves. Rak directed several excavations and was involved, among other projects, in the exploration of Amud Cave (1990–1994) and Kebara Cave (1982–1990), where the southernmost evidence of Neanderthal presence was identified. His anatomical studies also concentrated on Neanderthal facial morphology, particularly the reconstruction of their masticatory (chewing) mechanics.[3][4]

Honors

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In 2008, Rak became a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.[5] In 1999, he was awarded the Igor Orenstein Chair for the Study of Aging at Tel Aviv University.[6]

Selected publications

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Books

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Articles

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  • The functional significance of the squamosal suture in Australopithecus boisei., American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1987, doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330490111
  • Y Rak, Francis Clark Howell: Cranium of a juvenile Australopithecus boisei from the lower Omo basin, Ethiopia., Americal Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1987[7]
  • Y Rak, RJ Clarke: Ear ossicle of Australopithecus robustus, Nature, 1979.[8]
  • Y Rak, RJ Clarke: Aspects of the middle and external ear of early South African hominids, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1979[9]
  • Australopithecine taxonomy and phylogeny in light of facial morphology, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1985, doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330660305
  • The Neanderthal: A new look at an old face, Journal of Human Evolution, 1986[10]
  • Y Rak, B Arensburg: Kebara 2 Neanderthal pelvis: First look at a complete inlet, American Journal of Physical Anthropoloogy, 1987[4]
  • On the differences between two pelvises of Mousterian context from the Qafzeh and Kebara Caves, Israel, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1990[11]
  • Y Rak, WH Kimbel and Donald Johanson: The first skull and other new discoveries of Australopithecus afarensis at Hadar, Ethiopia, Nature, 1994[12]
  • Y Rak, WH Kimbel and Donald Johanson: The crescent of foramina in Australopithecus afarensis and other early hominids, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1996[13]
  • Y Rak, A Ginzburg and E Geffen: Gorilla-like anatomy on Australopithecus afarensis mandibles suggests Au. afarensis link to robust australopiths, PNAS USA, 2007.[14]
  • Y Rak, D Lordkipanidze, MS Ponce de León, A Margvelashvili et al.: A Complete Skull from Dmanisi, Georgia, and the Evolutionary Biology of Early Homo, Science, 2013[15]
  • Y Rak, WH Kimbel: Australopithecus sediba and the emergence of Homo: Questionable evidence from the cranium of the juvenile holotype MH 1, Journal of Human Evolution, 2017[16]
  • Y Rak, WH Kimbel et al.: The DNH 7 skull of Australopithecus robustus from Drimolen (Main Quarry), South Africa, Journal of human evolution, 2021,

References

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  1. ^ "A Bitter Archaeological Battle Is Rocking Tel Aviv University". Haaretz. 2021-12-09.
  2. ^ AP and ToI Staff. "Tel Aviv prof helps shake up evolutionary tree with 1.8m-year-old skull find". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  3. ^ Hovers, Erella; Rak, Yoel; Lavi, Ron; Kimbel, William H. (1995). "Hominid Remains from Amud Cave in the Context of the Levantine Middle Paleolithic". Paléorient. 21 (2): 47–61. doi:10.3406/paleo.1995.4617.
  4. ^ a b Rak, Y.; Arensburg, B. (1987). "Kebara 2 Neanderthal pelvis: First look at a complete inlet". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 73 (2): 227–231. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330730209. ISSN 1096-8644.
  5. ^ "Prof. Yoel Rak". Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
  6. ^ "Tel Aviv University Webflash - December 1999". Tel Aviv University.
  7. ^ Rak, Yoel; Howell, F. Clark (1978). "Cranium of a juvenile Australopithecus boisei from the lower Omo Basin, Ethiopia". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 48 (3): 345–365. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330480311. ISSN 1096-8644.
  8. ^ Rak, Yoel; Clarke, Ronald J. (1979). "Ear ossicle of Australopithecus robustus". Nature. 279 (5708): 62–63. doi:10.1038/279062a0. ISSN 1476-4687.
  9. ^ Rak, Y.; Clarke, R. J. (1979). "Aspects of the middle and external ear of early South African hominids". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 51 (3): 471–474. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330510320. ISSN 0002-9483. PMID 119440.
  10. ^ Rak, Yoel (1986-03-01). "The Neanderthal: A new look at an old face". Journal of Human Evolution. 15 (3): 151–164. doi:10.1016/S0047-2484(86)80042-2. ISSN 0047-2484.
  11. ^ "On the differences between two pelvises of Mousterian context from the Qafzeh and Kebara caves, Israel". scispace.com. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  12. ^ Kimbel, William H.; Johanson, Donald C.; Rak, Yoel (1994). "The first skull and other new discoveries of Australopithecus afarensis at Hadar, Ethiopia". Nature. 368 (6470): 449–451. doi:10.1038/368449a0. ISSN 1476-4687.
  13. ^ Rak, Y.; Kimbel, W. H.; Johanson, D. C. (1996). "The crescent of foramina in Australopithecus afarensis and other early hominids". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 101 (1): 93–99. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199609)101:1<93::AID-AJPA6>3.0.CO;2-E. ISSN 0002-9483. PMID 8876815.
  14. ^ Rak, Yoel; Ginzburg, Avishag; Geffen, Eli (2007-04-17). "Gorilla-like anatomy on Australopithecus afarensis mandibles suggests Au. afarensis link to robust australopiths". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104 (16): 6568–6572. doi:10.1073/pnas.0606454104. PMC 1871826. PMID 17426152.
  15. ^ Lordkipanidze, David; Ponce de León, Marcia S.; Margvelashvili, Ann; Rak, Yoel; Rightmire, G. Philip; Vekua, Abesalom; Zollikofer, Christoph P. E. (2013-10-18). "A Complete Skull from Dmanisi, Georgia, and the Evolutionary Biology of Early Homo". Science. 342 (6156): 326–331. doi:10.1126/science.1238484.
  16. ^ Kimbel, William H.; Rak, Yoel (2017-06-01). "Australopithecus sediba and the emergence of Homo: Questionable evidence from the cranium of the juvenile holotype MH 1". Journal of Human Evolution. 107: 94–106. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.03.011. ISSN 0047-2484.
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