Researcher Profile
Researcher Profile
Nina G. Jablonski, PhD
Evan Pugh University Professor of Anthropology, Anthropology
Scientific Program:Cancer Control
Research Interests
Nina G. Jablonski is Evan Pugh University Professor of Anthropology at The Pennsylvania State University. A biological anthropologist and paleobiologist, she studies the evolution of adaptations to the environment in Old World primates including humans.
Her research program is focused in two major areas. Her paleoanthropological research concerns the evolutionary history of Old World monkeys, and currently includes an active field project in China. Her research on the evolution of human adaptations to the environment centers on the evolution of human skin and skin pigmentation, and includes an active field project examining the relationship between skin pigmentation and vitamin D production.
Jablonski is currently collaborating on the development of new approaches to science education in the United States. These approaches have the dual aims of improving the understanding of evolution and human diversity, and stimulating interest among students in pursuing STEM courses and careers. With the support of NESCent (the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center) and active collaboration of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., she is leading a group of 30 scholars in the development of “genetics and genealogy” curricula for K-12 and undergraduate university students.
- Skin Pigmentation
- Skin
- Vitamin D
- Population
- Ultraviolet Rays
- Folic Acid
- Genes
- Hair
- Pigmentation
- Tooth
- Hominidae
- Health
Recent Publications
2022
Wang, X, Su, DF, Jablonski, NG, Ji, X, Kelley, J, Flynn, LJ & Deng, T 2022, 'Earliest giant panda false thumb suggests conflicting demands for locomotion and feeding', Scientific reports, vol. 12, no. 1, 10538. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13402-y
Kenney, WL, Jablonski, NG, Brown, MD & Keith, NR 2022, 'Honoring The HERITAGE Study and Looking Forward', Medicine and science in sports and exercise, vol. 54, no. 5, pp. 883-885. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002911
Dadzie, OE, Sturm, RA, Fajuyigbe, D, Petit, A & Jablonski, NG 2022, 'The Eumelanin Human Skin Colour Scale: a proof-of-concept study', British Journal of Dermatology, vol. 187, no. 1, pp. 99-104. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21277
Zimmerman, HT, Weible, JL, Wright, EA, Vanderhoof, C & Jablonski, NG 2022, 'Using youths’ personal DNA data in science camps: Fostering genetics learning and socio-emotional attitudes toward science with design-based research', Science Education, vol. 106, no. 4, pp. 767-796. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21709
2021
Lucock, MD, Jones, PR, Veysey, M, Thota, R, Garg, M, Furst, J, Martin, C, Yates, Z, Scarlett, CJ, Jablonski, NG, Chaplin, G & Beckett, EL 2022, 'Biophysical evidence to support and extend the vitamin D-folate hypothesis as a paradigm for the evolution of human skin pigmentation', American Journal of Human Biology, vol. 34, no. 4, e23667. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23667
Chen, HY & Jablonski, NG 2022, 'Deeper than the surface: Exploring symbolic cultural cues behind skin color among three groups of women of Chinese heritage', American Journal of Cultural Sociology, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 136-163. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41290-020-00124-9
Jablonski, NG 2021, 'Evolution: How to evolve a thick skin', Current Biology, vol. 31, no. 10, pp. R483-R486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.077
Lasisi, T, Zaidi, AA, Webster, TH, Stephens, NB, Routch, K, Jablonski, NG & Shriver, MD 2021, 'High-throughput phenotyping methods for quantifying hair fiber morphology', Scientific reports, vol. 11, no. 1, 11535. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90409-x
Sun, F, Wang, Y, Jablonski, NG, Hou, S, Ji, X, Wolff, B, Tripati, A, Cao, J & Yang, X 2021, 'Paleoenvironment of the late Miocene Shuitangba hominoids from Yunnan, Southwest China: Insights from stable isotopes', Chemical Geology, vol. 569, 120123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120123
Savoldi, F, Montalvao, C, Hui, L, Leung, CKK, Jablonski, NG, Tsoi, JKH & Bornstein, MM 2021, 'The Human Bone Collection of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Hong Kong: History and description of cranial and postcranial skeletal remains', American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 175, no. 3, pp. 718-730. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24273
Jablonski, NG 2021, 'The evolution of human skin pigmentation involved the interactions of genetic, environmental, and cultural variables', Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 707-729. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcmr.12976
2020
Jones, P, Lucock, M, Chaplin, G, Jablonski, NG, Veysey, M, Scarlett, C & Beckett, E 2020, 'Distribution of variants in multiple vitamin D-related loci (DHCR7/NADSYN1, GC, CYP2R1, CYP11A1, CYP24A1, VDR, RXRα and RXRγ) vary between European, East-Asian and Sub-Saharan African-ancestry populations', Genes and Nutrition, vol. 15, no. 1, 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12263-020-00663-3
Wolf, ST, Jablonski, NG & Kenney, WL 2020, 'Examining "race" in physiology', American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 319, no. 6. https://doi.org/10.1152/AJPHEART.00698.2020
Wolf, ST, Jablonski, NG, Ferguson, SB, Alexander, LM & Kenney, WL 2020, 'Four weeks of vitamin D supplementation improves nitric oxide-mediated microvascular function in college-aged African Americans', American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 319, no. 4, pp. H906-H914. https://doi.org/10.1152/AJPHEART.00631.2020
Li, P, Zhang, C, Kelley, J, Deng, C, Ji, X, Jablonski, NG, Wu, H, Fu, Y, Guo, Z & Zhu, R 2020, 'Late Miocene Climate Cooling Contributed to the Disappearance of Hominoids in Yunnan Region, Southwestern China', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 47, no. 11, e2020GL087741. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087741
Jablonski, NG, Ji, X, Kelley, J, Flynn, LJ, Deng, C & Su, DF 2020, 'Mesopithecus pentelicus from Zhaotong, China, the easternmost representative of a widespread Miocene cercopithecoid species', Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 146, 102851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102851
Koch, SL, Liebowitz, C, Shriver, MD & Jablonski, NG 2021, 'Microscopical discrimination of human head hairs sharing a mitochondrial haplogroup', Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 66, no. 1, pp. 56-71. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.14560
Khan, MA, Kelley, J, Flynn, LJ, Babar, MA & Jablonski, NG 2020, 'New fossils of Mesopithecus from Hasnot, Pakistan', Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 145, 102818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102818
Ji, X, Youlatos, D, Jablonski, NG, Pan, R, Zhang, C, Li, P, Tang, M, Yu, T, Li, W, Deng, C & Li, S 2020, 'Oldest colobine calcaneus from East Asia (Zhaotong, Yunnan, China)', Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 147, 102866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102866
Jablonski, NG 2021, 'Skin color and race', American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 175, no. 2, pp. 437-447. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24200
Jablonski, NG 2021, 'Social and affective touch in primates and its role in the evolution of social cohesion', Neuroscience, vol. 464, pp. 117-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.11.024
2019
Chen, HY, Jablonski, NG, Chick, G & Yarnal, C 2019, 'Caught between "light skin is beautiful and tanned skin is attractive": How bicultural socialization shapes attitudes toward skin color aesthetics', Asian American Journal of Psychology, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 326-340. https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000154
Li, P, Zhang, C, Guo, Z, Deng, C, Ji, X, Jablonski, NG, Wu, H & Zhu, R 2019, 'Clay mineral assemblages in the Zhaotong Basin of southwestern China: Implications for the late Miocene and Pliocene evolution of the South Asian monsoon', Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol. 516, pp. 90-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.11.039
Lucock, M, Thota, R, Garg, M, Martin, C, Jones, P, Furst, J, Yates, Z, Jablonski, NG, Chaplin, G, Veysey, M & Beckett, E 2019, 'Early lifecycle UV-exposure calibrates adult vitamin D metabolism: Evidence for a developmentally originated vitamin D homeostat that may alter related adult phenotypes', American Journal of Human Biology, vol. 31, no. 4, e23272. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23272
Sheng, GL, Basler, N, Ji, XP, Paijmans, JLA, Alberti, F, Preick, M, Hartmann, S, Westbury, MV, Yuan, JX, Jablonski, NG, Xenikoudakis, G, Hou, XD, Xiao, B, Liu, JH, Hofreiter, M, Lai, XL & Barlow, A 2019, 'Paleogenome Reveals Genetic Contribution of Extinct Giant Panda to Extant Populations', Current Biology, vol. 29, no. 10, pp. 1695-1700.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.04.021
Wright, EA, Wagner, JK, Shriver, MD, Fernandez, JR & Jablonski, NG 2019, 'Practical and Ethical Considerations of Using Personal DNA Tests with Middle-School-Aged Learners', American Journal of Human Genetics, vol. 104, no. 2, pp. 197-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.01.001
Passeron, T, Bouillon, R, Callender, V, Cestari, T, Diepgen, TL, Green, AC, van der Pols, JC, Bernard, BA, Ly, F, Bernerd, F, Marrot, L, Nielsen, M, Verschoore, M, Jablonski, NG & Young, AR 2019, 'Sunscreen photoprotection and vitamin D status', British Journal of Dermatology, vol. 181, no. 5, pp. 916-931. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.17992
Zhou, Y, Ji, X, Li, Y, Forestier, H, Jablonski, NG, Ding, S, Zhao, J, Chen, P, Wang, L, Liang, T & He, C 2020, 'Tangzigou open-air site: A unique lithic assemblage during the Early Holocene in Yunnan Province, Southwest China', Quaternary International, vol. 563, pp. 105-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2019.11.011
Koch, SL, Tridico, SR, Bernard, BA, Shriver, MD & Jablonski, NG 2020, 'The biology of human hair: A multidisciplinary review', American Journal of Human Biology, vol. 32, no. 2, e23316. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23316
2018
Chen, HY, Robinson, JK & Jablonski, NG 2018, 'A Cross-cultural exploration on the psychological aspects of skin color aesthetics: Implications for sun-related behavior', Translational behavioral medicine, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 234-243. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibz063
Wolf, ST, Stanhewicz, AE, Jablonski, NG & Kenney, WL 2018, 'Acute ultraviolet radiation exposure attenuates nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation in the cutaneous microvasculature of healthy humans', Journal of applied physiology, vol. 125, no. 4, pp. 1232-1237. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00501.2018
Sheng, GL, Barlow, A, Cooper, A, Hou, XD, Ji, XP, Jablonski, NG, Zhong, BJ, Liu, H, Flynn, LJ, Yuan, JX, Wang, LR, Basler, N, Westbury, MV, Hofreiter, M & Lai, XL 2018, 'Ancient DNA from giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) of south-western China reveals genetic diversity loss during the holocene', Genes, vol. 9, no. 4, 198. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes9040198
Hou, S, Su, DF, Kelley, J, Deng, T, Jablonski, NG, Flynn, LJ, Ji, X, Cao, J & Yang, X 2019, 'Correction to: New Fossil Suid Specimens from the Terminal Miocene Hominoid Locality of Shuitangba, Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, China (Journal of Mammalian Evolution, (2019), 26, 4, (557-571), 10.1007/s10914-018-9431-3)', Journal of Mammalian Evolution, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 573-574. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-018-9434-0
Hlusko, LJ, Carlson, JP, Chaplin, G, Elias, SA, Hoffecker, JF, Huffman, M, Jablonski, NG, Monson, TA, O’Rourke, DH, Pilloud, MA & Richard Scott, G 2018, 'Environmental selection during the last ice age on the mother-to-infant transmission of vitamin D and fatty acids through breast milk', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 115, no. 19, pp. E4426-E4432. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1711788115
Jablonski, NG 2018, Evolution of Human Skin Color and Vitamin D. in Biochemistry, Physiology and Diagnostics. vol. 1, Elsevier Inc., pp. 29-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809965-0.00003-3
Ryan, TM, Carlson, KJ, Gordon, AD, Jablonski, N, Shaw, CN & Stock, JT 2018, 'Human-like hip joint loading in Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus', Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 121, pp. 12-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.03.008
Geller, AC, Jablonski, NG, Pagoto, SL, Hay, JL, Hillhouse, J, Buller, DB, Kenney, WL, Robinson, JK, Weller, RB, Moreno, MA, Gilchrest, BA, Sinclair, C, Arndt, J, Taber, JM, Morris, KL, Dwyer, LA, Perna, FM, Klein, WMP & Suls, J 2018, 'Interdisciplinary perspectives on sun safety', JAMA Dermatology, vol. 154, no. 1, pp. 88-92. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.4201
Hou, S, Su, DF, Kelley, J, Deng, T, Jablonski, NG, Flynn, LJ, Ji, X, Cao, J & Yang, X 2019, 'New Fossil Suid Specimens from the Terminal Miocene Hominoid Locality of Shuitangba, Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, China', Journal of Mammalian Evolution, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 557-571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-018-9431-3
Quillen, EE, Norton, HL, Parra, EJ, Lona-Durazo, F, Ang, KC, Illiescu, FM, Pearson, LN, Shriver, MD, Lasisi, T, Gokcumen, O, Starr, I, Lin, YL, Martin, AR & Jablonski, NG 2019, 'Shades of complexity: New perspectives on the evolution and genetic architecture of human skin', American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 168, pp. 4-26. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23737
Robinson, JK & Jablonski, NG 2018, 'Sun protection and skin self-examination and the US preventive services task force recommendation on behavioral counseling for skin cancer prevention', JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 319, no. 11, pp. 1101-1102. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.0163
Iliescu, FM, Chaplin, G, Rai, N, Jacobs, GS, Basu Mallick, C, Mishra, A, Thangaraj, K & Jablonski, NG 2018, 'The influences of genes, the environment, and social factors on the evolution of skin color diversity in India', American Journal of Human Biology, vol. 30, no. 5, e23170. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23170
Jablonski, NG & Chaplin, G 2018, 'The roles of vitamin D and cutaneous vitamin D production in human evolution and health', International Journal of Paleopathology, vol. 23, pp. 54-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2018.01.005
Koch, SL, Shriver, MD & Jablonski, NG 2019, 'Variation in human hair ultrastructure among three biogeographic populations', Journal of Structural Biology, vol. 205, no. 1, pp. 60-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsb.2018.11.008
Lucock, M, Thota, R, Garg, M, Martin, C, Jones, P, Furst, J, Yates, Z, Jablonski, NG, Chaplin, G, Veysey, M, Sutherland, JM & Beckett, E 2018, 'Vitamin D and folate: A reciprocal environmental association based on seasonality and genetic disposition', American Journal of Human Biology, vol. 30, no. 5, e23166. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23166