Ray Bernor

Ray Bernor sitting in a chair with glasses and red shirt on

Ray Bernor is Professor of Anatomy at Howard University, Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology.  He received his PhD at UCLA in 1978 with a major in Anthropology and minor in Vertebrate Paleontology.  Much of Ray’s work has been in middle and late Miocene faunas and biogeography of Eurasia and since 2000 has been especially engaged in late Miocene – Pleistocene human origins projects in Libya, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.  Ray has a specialty in ungulate evolution and paleodiet, especially the evolutionary biology of fossil and living equids.

 

Selected Publications

 

Selected Equid Evolution Publications 2016-current (Smithsonian Human Origins – Howard University – University of Florence collaborative program)

Bernor, R.L., M. M. Ataabadi, K. Meshida, and D. Wolf.  2016. The Maragheh Hipparions; Late Miocene of Azerbaijan, Iran. Palaeobiology and Palaeodiversity (2016) 96: 453-488, Frankfurt DOI 10.1007/s12549-016-0235-2

Bernor, R.L., U. Goehlic, M. Harzhauser and G. Semprebon.  2017. Stratigraphy, Chronology, Systematics and Paleoecology of the Vienna Basin Pannonian C Hipparions (basal MN9, late Miocene).  Palaeoclimatology, Palaeogeography and Palaeoecology.  476 (2017): 28-41. 

Bernor, R.L. and S. Sen.  2017.  Proboscidipparion and Plesiohipparion from the early Pliocene of Calta, Turkey. Geodiversitas. Paris. 39(2): 1-30. 

Bernor, R.L., S. Wang, Y. Liu, Y. Chen and Boyang Sun. 2018. A new hipparion genus Shanxihippus and Chinese hipparion horses with highly specialized nasal-snout regions. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigraphia, Milano. 124(2): 361-386.  COVER

Janis, C.M. and R.L. Bernor.  2019.  The Evolution of Equid Monodactyly: A Review Including a New Hypothesis. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 7, Article 119: 1-19. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00119.

Bernor, R.L., O. Cirilli, AM. Jukar, R. Potts, M. Bukhsianidze, L. Rook.  2019.  Evolution of Early Equus in Italy, Georgia, the Indian Subcontinent, East Africa and the Origins of African Zebras. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 7, Article 166: 1-19. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00166.

Bernor, R.L., G. Semprebon, L S. Avilla, F. Rivals and E. Scott (Editors).  2020.  Examining Evolutionary Trends in Equus and its Close Relatives from Five Continents.  Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution E-Volume. Volume 7, 14 Chapters, 241 pp. ISSN 1664-8714, ISBN 978-2-88963-555-9, DOI 10.3389/978-2-88963-555-9. 

Cirilli, O., M. Melchionna, C. Serio, R.L. Bernor, M. Bukhsianidze, D. Lorkipanidze, L, Rook, A. Profico. and P. Raia. 2020  Target deformation of the Equus stenonis holotype skull: A new virtual restoration protocol. Frontiers in Earth Science. 8:247 (publ. 6/26/2020) Manuscript doi: 10.3389/feart.2020.00247  ID: 521626.

Bernor, R.L., N.T. Boaz, O. Cirilli and L. Rook.  2020.  The Sahabi Hipparions and their Systematic and Biogeographic Relationships. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigraphia, Milano. 126(2): 541-560, July 2020.

Saarinen, J., Cirilli, O., Strani, F. Meshida, K. and Bernor, R.L.  2021.  Testing equid body mass estimate equations on modern zebras – with implications to understanding the relationship of body size, diet and habitats of Equus in the Pleistocene of Europe.  Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.  9: 622412 2021 doi: 10.3389/fevo.2021.622412.

Cirilli, O. L. Pandolfi, L. Rook and R.L. Bernor 2021. Evolution of Old World Equus and origin of the zebra-ass clade.  Scientific Reports. 11: 10156 DOI: org/10.1038/s41598-021-89440-9.

Bernor, R.L., Cirilli, O., Bushkhianidze , M., Lordkipanidze and D., Rook L. 2021.  The Dmanisi Equus: Systematics, Biogeography and Paleoecology. Journal of Human Evolution Special Volume: The Biotic Context of the Early Pleistocene Hominins from Dmanisi (Georgia, Southern Caucasus). Journal of Human Evolution 158: 1-14 published online 8/5/2021 doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103051

Cirilli, O., Saarinen, J., Pandolfi, L., Rook, L. and Bernor, R.L. 2021.  An updated review on Equus stenonis with new implications for the European Early Pleistocene Equus taxonomy, paleoecology and remarks on the Old World Equus evolution.  Quaternary Science Research. 269 (2021)107155., 22 pp. doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107155.

Bernor, R.L, Kaya, K., Kakkinen, A., Sarinnen, J. and Fortelius, M. 2021. Old World Hipparionine Evolution, Biogeography, Climatology and Ecology.  Earth-Science Reviews. 221 (2021) 103784. 22 pp.  doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103784

 

Other Selected Publications

Campbell, B.G., M.H. Amini, R.L. Bernor, W. Dickinson, R. Drake, R. Morris, J.A. Van Couvering and J.A.H. Van Couvering. 1980. Maragheh: A Classical Late Miocene Vertebrate Locality in Northwestern Iran. Nature 287: 837-841.

Bernor, R.L. Geochronology and Zoogeographic Relationships of Miocene Hominoidea. 1983. In: R.L. Ciochon and R. Corruccini, eds., New Interpretations of Ape and Human Ancestry.  Plenum Press, New York: 21-64.

Bernor, R.L., H. Tobien, L.-A. Hayek and H.-W. Mittmann.  1997.  The Höwenegg Hipparionine Horses: Systematics, Stratigraphy, Taphonomy and Paleoenvironmental Context.  Andrias 10: 1-230.

White, T., G. Suwa, B. Asfaw, S. Ambrose, Y. Beyene,  R. Bernor, J-R. Boisserie, B. Currie, H. Gilbert,  Y. Haile-Selassie, W. Hart, L. Hlusko, F.C. Howell, T. Reiko , R.T. Kono, A. Louchart, O. Lovejoy, P.  Renne, S. Haruo, E. Vrba, E., H.Wesselman, H., and G. Wolde-Gabriel .  2006.  Asa Issie, Aramis, and the Origin of Australopithecus.  Nature 440: 883-889.

Bernor, R.L.  New apes fill the gap. 2007.  Proceedings National Academy of Sciences USA. 104 (50): 19661-19662.

Eronen, J.T., M. Mirzaie, A. Karme. A. Micheels, R.L. Bernor and M. Fortelius.  Distribution History and Climatic Controls of the Late Miocene Pikermian Chronofauna.  2009. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (29): 11867-11871.  

White, T.D., S.H. Ambrose, G. Suwa, D. F. Su, D. DeGusta, R.L. Bernor, J.-R. Boisserie, M. Brunet, E. Delson, S. Frost, N. Garcia, I.X. Giaourtsakis, Y. Haile-Selassie, F. C. Howell, T. Lehmann, A. Likius, C. Pehlevan, H. Saegusa, G. Semprebon, M. Teaford and E. Vrba.  2009. Macrovertebrate Paleontology and the Pliocene Habitat of Ardipithecus ramidus.  Science  326:87-93.

Bernor, R.L., M. Armour-Chelu, H. Gilbert, T. Kaiser and E. Schulz.  2010.  Equidae., pp. 685-721; L. Werdelin and B. Sanders (eds.) Cenozoic Mammals of Africa. University of California Press. 

Wolf, D., Bernor, R.L. and S.T. Hussain.  2013. Evolution, Biostratigraphy and Geochronology of Siwalik Hipparionine Horses. Palaeontographica.  300: 1-118.

Suwa, G., Y. Beyene, H. Nakaya, R.L. Bernor, J.-R. Boisserie, F. Bibi, S.H. Ambrose, K. Sano, S. Katoh and B. Asfaw.  2015.  Newly discovered cercopithecid, equid and other mammalian fossils from the Chorora Formation, Ethiopia. Anthropology Science 123(1): 19-39.

Katoh, S., Y. Beyene, T. Itaya, H. Hyodo, M. Hyodo, K. Yagi, C. Gouzu, G. WoldeGabriel, W.K. Hart, S.H. Ambrose, H. Nakaya, R.L. Bernor, J.-R. Boisseri, F. Bibi, Haruo. Saegusa, T. Sasaki, K. Sano, B. Asfaw and G. Suwa.  2016.  New Geological and paleontological age constraint for the gorilla-human lineage split.  Nature 530 (No. 7580; February 11): 215-218. doi:10.1038/nature16510.
 

Edited Volumes

Bernor, R.L., V. Fahlbusch and H.-W. Mittmann (eds.) 1996. The Evolution of Western Eurasian Neogene Mammal Faunas; Columbia University Press, New York. 487 pp.

Fortelius, M. J. Kappelman, S. Sen and R.L. Bernor (eds.) 2003.  The Geology and Paleontology of the Miocene Sinap Formation, Turkey. Columbia University Press: New York.  409 pp.

Bernor, R.L., L. Kordos and L. Rook.  2005.  Multidisciplinary Research at Rudabánya; in: R.L. Bernor, L. Kordos and L. Rook (eds.): Multidisciplinary Research at Rudabánya. Paleontographica Italiana.  90: 1-313.
 

 

 

Resource Links

FuTRES (Functional Trait Resource for Environmental Studies)