Dr. Bethany M. Usher

Dr. Bethany M. Usher

Dr. Bethany M. Usher is a biological anthropologist and bioarchaeologist whose interests include human osteology, paleopathology, paleodemography, evolution of health and disease, human genetics, mortuary analysis, and Anabaptist culture.  Her interest in anthropology developed as an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia, where she earned her BA in anthropology and biology (1991).  After working for a couple of years as an archaeologist and computer graphics specialist for the cultural resource management firm of R Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc., she enrolled at Arizona State University for her MA in bioarchaeology (1995).  She then moved on to Penn State University to earn her PhD in biological anthropology (2000), and her dissertation focused on models of health and mortality using skeletal data from the medieval Danish cemetery of Tirup.

Dr. Usher came to SUNY Potsdam in 2000.  As a faculty member, she teaches many biological anthropology and bioarchaeology classes. She also encourages student involvement in independent research projects, internships, and teaching assistantships.

Classes taught:

• Evolution (ANTH 120)
• The Primates (ANTP 184)
• Human Origins (ANTP 101/201)
• Human Osteology (ANTP 380)
• Issues in Physical Anthropology (ANTP 301)
• Professionalism in Anthropology (ANTH393)
• Archaeology of Death (ANTA 365)
• Humans, Disease and Death (ANTP 347)
• Genes and People, Honors (ANTP 383)
• Forensic Anthropology (ANTP 402)
• Biological Anthropology Research Methods (ANTP 403)
• Cannibalism, co-taught with Dr. Janet Schulenberg (ANTP/A 495)

Dr. Usher is currently involved in several research projects:

• Analysis of osteological and health data from the Danish medieval cemetery of Tirup, and building models of the effects of ill health on survival in preindustrial populations. 
• Modeled the expected distribution of mitochondrial and Y chromosome genetic markers in cemeteries.  We have created models of patrilocal, matrilocal, and avunculocal cemeteries.
• Modeling the expected distribution of genetic (mitochondrial and Y chromosome) and osteological (sex and age) traits in cemeteries given different social patterns that affect the spatial patterns. We have created models of cemeteries segregated by age, sex, and status, as well as ones that mimic the spatial patterns of family farms within the parish. These models also look at post-marital residence patterns.
• Testing the models with simulated cemeteries and Anabaptist cemetery data. Along with Dr. Weets and several students, mapped and recorded the Amish and Mennonite cemeteries of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania during the summer of 2001.
• She directs the Database of Reference Collections, a regularly updated list of world-wide documented skeletal collections.
• Developing a new research program with Dr. Lori Baker of Baylor University to analyze Tirup cemetery genetically and skeletally, applying her social structure and health models.
• Co-authoring with Dr. John Omohundro, the 4th edition of Mystery Fossil , a physical anthropology software package. This was published in Fall 2006.

Dr. Usher's recent poster presentations:

Usher BM, Weets JD, Baker LE, Case DT, and Boldsen JL 2007. Ancient Cemetery Social Patterning Project: Tirup Cemetery. Society for American Archaeology Annual Meeting, Austin, Texas, April 2007.

Usher BM and LaRue A 2007. Who's Buried with Whom? Burial Patterns of Amish and Mennonite Couples in the Big Valley of Pennsylvania. SUNY Potsdam Learning and Research Fair, April 2007.

Baker LE, Usher BM, Weets JD, Boldsen JL, and Case DT 2007. Ancient Cemetery Social Patterning Project: Ancient DNA in Tirup Cemetery. American Association of Physical Anthropologists Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 2007.

Usher BM and Polmateer RS 2007. Skeletal and Genetic Determination of Spatial Social Patterns in Cemeteries. American Association of Physical Anthropologists Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 2007.

Usher BM 2006. Spatial and Social Patterning in Medieval Scandinavian Cemeteries. Society for American Archaeology National Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 2005.

Usher BM 2005. Anabaptist spatial organization reflects patrilocal household structure and endogamous corporate groups: A model for prehistory. Society for American Archaeology National Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 2005.

Usher BM, and Allen KL 2005.  Identifying kinship clusters: SatScan for genetic spatial analysis. American Association of Physical Anthropologists Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 2005.

Heimroth A, Ontiveros S, and Usher BM 2003. Maternal and Paternal Lineages in Amish and MennoniteCemeteries. Northeastern Anthropology Association Annual Meeting, Burlington, Vermont, March.

Usher BM, Weets JD, Heimroth A, and Elliott E. 2003.  Amish cemeteries have a patrilineal genetic spatial pattern: Implications for ancient DNA analyses. American Association of Physical Anthropologists National Meeting in Tempe, Arizona, April. Part 1, Part 2