Richard G. Cooke

Staff Scientist; Archaeologist. Leading archaeologist of the Americas whose research focused on the human colonization of the Panama isthmus and the cultural and biological evolution of prehistoric human societies in Panama's tropical forests. Commitment to paleoenvironmental reconstruction, prehistoric settlement patterns, and tropical subsistence systems places him at the forefront of the field of prehistoric human ecology. Recognized as the preeminent archaeozoologist of lower Central America for his contributions to archaeofaunal records for Panama between 9000 and 450 BP. Documented the transition from a post-Pleistocene foraging way of life to a spectrum of small-scale societies in tropical habitats and the development of sedentary farming villages, providing insights concerning human impacts on the tropical forest and its fauna. Contributed to discussions of human predation and habitat destruction in pre-Columbian times, and to considerations of overfishing and the collapse of coastal ecosystems today.