Terry Harrison

Human evolution; fossil apes and monkeys; functional morphology; paleobiology; primate comparative anatomy; allometry; taphonomy; paleoecology.

Center for the Study of Human Origins 

Terry Harrison joined New York University in 1984 after receiving his Bachelors of Science (1978) and his Doctor of Philosophy (1982) from the Anthropology Department at University College London. He retired in 2022 as Professor Emeritus.

He is a biological anthropologist specializing in primate and human evolution, paleontology, comparative morphology, and paleoecology. He has extensive paleontological fieldwork experience in Europe, East Africa, and Asia, and he is currently co-directing a major field project at the renowned early hominin site of Laetoli in northern Tanzania. Professor Harrison is also working on a number of different projects on fossil apes from the Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene of China and East Africa

Among his honors and awards, Terry Harrison has won the Golden Dozen Teaching Award (1989, 1996, 2015), the Distinguished Teaching Award (2002), and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2006).  In 2014, he was appointed as Silver Professor. He is currently Professor Emeritus. 

(Available digitally at https://nyu.academia.edu/TerryHarrison)

“Uplift of the Hengduan Mountains on the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau in the late Miocene and its paleoenvironmental impact on hominoid diversity.” Li, S., Ji, X., Harrison, T., Deng, C., Wang, S., Wang, L., Zhu, R. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 553, 109794: 1-14. 2020.

“A new genus of pliopithecoid from the late Early Miocene of China and its implications for the paleozoogeography of the Pliopithecoidea.” Harrison, T., Zhang, Y., Wei, G., Sun, C., Wang, Y., Liu, J., Tong, H., Huang, B., Xu, F.  Journal of Human Evolution 145, 102838: 1-20. 2020.

“Inferring the locomotor behavior of fossil hominoids from phalangeal curvature using a novel method: Lufengpithecus as a case study.”  Zhang, Y., Harrison, T., Ji, X. Acta Anthropologica Sinica 39 (4): 532-554. 2020.

“Morphometric analysis of fossil hylobatid molars from the Pleistocene of southern China.” Ortiz, A., Zhang, Y., Jin, C., Wang, Y., Zhu, M., Yan, Y., Kimock, C., Villamil, C.I., He. K., Harrison, T. Anthropological Science 127: 109-121. 2019.

“A distinguishing feature of Pongo upper molars and its implications for the taxonomic identification of isolated hominid teeth from the Pleistocene of Asia.” Ortiz, A., Bailey, S.E., Delgado, M., Zanolli, C., Demeter, F., Bacon, A-M., Nguyen, T.M.H., Nguyen, A.T., Zhang, Y., Harrison, T., Hublin, J-J., Skinner, M.M. Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol. 170: 595-612. 2019.

“Eyasi Plateau Paleontological Expedition, Laetoli, Tanzania, fossil specimen database 1998-2005.”  Reed, D., Harrison, T., Kwekason, A. Scientific Data 6, 304: 1-11. 2019.

“Accuracy of habitat reconstruction based on a blind test of micromammal evidence from East Africa.” Reed, D., Dirks, W., McMaster L., Harrison, T. Historical Biol 31 (2): 243-252. 2019.

“Fossil cercopithecid tibia from Laetoli and its implications for positional behavior and paleoecology. Laird, M.F., Kozma, E., Kwekason, A., Harrison, T. J Human Evol 118: 27-42. 2018.

“Walking on ashes: Insect trace fossils from Laetoli indicate poor grass cover associated with early hominin environments. Genise, J., Harrison, T. Palaeontology 61: 597-624. 2018.

“Orangutans venture out of the rainforest and into the Anthropocene.  Spehar, S.N, Sheil, D., Harrison, T., Louys, J., Ancrenaz, M., Marshall, A.J., Wich, S.A., Bruford, M.W., Meijaard, E. Science Advances 4: e1701422: 1-13. 2018.

“Fossil gibbons (Mammalia, Hylobatidae) from the Pleistocene of Chongzuo, Guangxi, China. Zhang, Y-Q., Jin, C-Z., Wang, Y., Ortiz, A., He. K., Harrison, T. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 56 (3): 248-263. 2018.

“The palaeoenvironment of the middle Miocene pliopithecid locality in Damiao, Inner Mongolia, China. Sukselainen, L., Kaakinen, A., Eronen, J.T., Passey, B.H., Harrison, T., Zhang, Z., Fortelius, M. J Human Evol 108: 31-46. 2017.

"Gigantopithecus blacki: A giant ape from the Pleistocene of Asia revisited."  Zhang, Y., Harrison, T.  Amer J Phys Anthropol 162, Supplement S63: 153-177. 2017.

"The paleoecology of the Upper Ndolanya Beds, Laetoli, Tanzania, and its implications for hominin evolution."  Harrison, T. In Marom, A., Hovers, E. (Editors) Human Paleontology and Prehistory: Contributions in Honor of Yoel Rak, pp. 31-44. Dordrecht: Springer. 2017.

"Adaptation to suspensory locomotion in Australopithecus sediba."  Rein, T.R., Harrison, T., Carlson, K., Harvati, K.  J Human Evol 104: 1-12. 2017.

"A highly derived pliopithecoid from the Late Miocene of Haritalyangar, India."  Sankhyan, A.R., Kelley, J., Harrison, T.  J Human Evol 105: 1-12.

"The fossil record and evolutionary history of hylobatids." Harrison, T. In Reichard, U.H., Hirohisa, H., Barelli, C. (Editors), Evolution of Gibbons and Siamang: Phylogeny, Morphology, and Cognition, pp. 91-110.  New York: Springer. 2016.

“A fourth mandible and associated dental remains of Gigantopithecus blacki from the Early Pleistocene Yanliang Cave, Fusui, Guangxi, South China.” Zhang, Y., Jin, C., Kono, R.T., Harrison, T., Wang, W. Historical Biology 28: 95-104. 2016.
“Evolutionary trend in dental size in Gigantopithecus blacki revisited.” Zhang, Y., Kono, R.T., Wang, W., Harrison, T., Takai, M., Ciochon, R.L., Jin, C. J. Human Evol. 83: 91- 100. 2015.
“Co-occurrence of pliopithecid and hominid primates in the fossil record: an ecometric analysis.” Sukselainen, L., Fortelius, M., Harrison, T. J. Human Evol. 84: 25-41. 2015.
“The taxonomic and phylogenetic affinities of Bunopithecus sericus, a fossil hylobatid from the Pleistocene of China.” Ortiz, A., Pilbrow, V., Villamil, C.I., Korsgaard, J.G., Bailey, S.E., Harrison, T. PLoS One e0131206: 1-17. 2015.
“The paleoecology of the Upper Laetolil Beds, Laetoli, Tanzania: A review and synthesis.” Su, D., Harrison, T. J. Afr. Earth Sci. 101: 405-419. 2015.
“Inferring the use of forelimb suspensory locomotion by extinct primate species via shape exploration of the ulna.” Rein, T.R., Harvati, K., Harrison, T. J. Human Evol. 78: 70-79. 2015.
“Possible change in dental morphology in Gigantopithecus blacki just prior to its extinction: Evidence from the upper premolar enamel-dentine junction”. Zhang, Y., Kono, R.T., Jin, C., Wang, W., Harrison, T. J. Human Evol. 75: 166-171. 2014.
“Chronological sequence of the early Pleistocene Gigantopithecus faunas from cave sites in the Chongzuo, Zuojiang River area, South China.” Jin, C., Wang, Y., Deng, C., Harrison, T., Qin, D., Pan, W., Zhang, Y., Zhu, M., Yan, Y. Quaternary International 354: 4-14. 2014.
“Fossil Pongo from the Early Pleistocene Gigantopithecus fauna of Chongzuo, Guangxi, southern China.” Harrison, T., Jin, C., Zhang, Y., Wang, Y., Zhu, M. Quaternary International 354: 59-67. 2014. 
"Continuity of mammalian fauna over the last 200,000 y in the Indian subcontinent." Roberts, P., Delson, E., Miracle, P., Ditchfield, P., Roberts, R.G., Jacobs, Z., Blinkhorn, J., Ciochon, R.L., Fleagle, J.G., Frost, S.R., Gilbert, C.C., Gunnell, G.F., Harrison, T., Korisettar, R., Petraglia, M.D. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 111: 5848-5853. 2014.
"Catarrhine origins." Harrison, T. In Begun, D. (Editor) A Companion to Paleoanthropology, pp. 376-396. 2013.
"Skeletal correlates of quadrupedalism and climbing in the anthropoid forelimb: Implications for inferring locomotion in Miocene catarrhines." Rein, T.R., Harrison, T., Zollikofer, C.P.E. J. Human Evol. 61: 564-574. 2011.
“The evolutionary context of the first hominins.” Wood, B., Harrison, T. Nature 470: 347-352. 2011.
“Laetoli revisited: Renewed palaeontological and geological investigations at localities on the Eyasi Plateau in northern Tanzania.” Harrison, T. In Harrison, T. (Editor) Paleontology and Geology of Laetoli: Human Evolution in Context. Volume 1: Geology, Geochronology, Paleoecology and Paleoenvironment, pp. 1-15. Dordrecht: Springer. 2011.
“Hominins from the Upper Laetolil and Upper Ndolanya Beds, Laetoli.” Harrison, T. In Harrison, T. (Editor) Paleontology and Geology of Laetoli: Human Evolution in Context. Volume 2: Fossil Hominins and the Associated Fauna, pp. 141-188. Dordrecht: Springer. 2011. 
“Paleontology and Geology of Laetoli, Tanzania: Human Evolution in Context. Volume 1: Geology, Geochronology, Paleoecology and Paleoenvironment.” Harrison, T. (Editor) Dordrecht: Springer. 2011. 
“Paleontology and Geology of Laetoli, Tanzania: Human Evolution in Context. Volume 2: Fossil Hominins and the Associated Fauna.” Harrison, T. (Editor) Dordrecht: Springer. 2011. 
“Apes among the tangled branches of human origins.” Harrison, T. Science 327: 532-534. 2010. 
"Dendropithecoidea, Proconsuloidea and Hominoidea.” Harrison, T. In Werdelin, L. Sanders, W.J. (Editors) Cenozoic Mammals of Africa, pp. 429-469. Berkeley: University of California Press. 2010.