Primatology and evolutionary anthropology at the 91st meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists

Abstract

Under a new banner, the American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA) made a welcomed return to in‐person format for the first time in 3 years with its 91st annual meeting in Denver, Colorado March 23rd–26th of 2022. Despite the ongoing and disruptive effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic, this year's conference gave its members a chance to once again engage face to face and share exciting research. Many precautions were taken to ensure the safety of the attendees and reduce the risk of transmission including vaccination requirements, the mandatory use of masks, and color‐coded badges to indicate each attendees comfort level with coming into close contact with others. For members unable to attend in‐person, the AABA also provided online access to the conference from March 24th to April 1. The mile‐high city provided a perfect setting for the conference with its vibrant social scene and beautiful mountain views. This year's conference attended by over 1000 members featured more than 750 individual peer‐reviewed scientific research projects, 9 workshops, 11 invited symposia, 18 contributed podium sessions, and 18 contributed poster sessions. As in previous years, the AABA was joined by co‐sponsors like the Human Biology Association, Dental Anthropology Association, American Association of Anthropological Genetics, Paleopathology Association, Paleoanthropology Society, and Paleoanthropology Association. The conference kicked off with the 12th annual Committee on Diversity Undergraduate Research Symposium followed by an opening reception welcoming members. The conference closed with a reception and student award ceremony where members could interact one last time before returning to their respective institutions.