Ariel N. Barrera

PhD Candidate

CUNY Graduate Center

Division of Anthropology

American Museum of Natural History

About Me

I'm a Partner PhD Candidate in Biological Anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center, The American Museum of Natural History, and NYCEP. I am a paleoanthropologist co-advised by Dr. Ashley Hammond and Dr. Chris Robinson, and an adjunct lecturer with experience in scientific illustration, quantitative analysis, fieldwork, and K–12 education and outreach.

My dissertation examines how mandibular tooth root morphology varies and covaries with tooth crowns and mandibular form across the full tooth row (I1–M3) in extant hominids and fossil hominins using microCT and geometric morphometrics. This work investigates how root traits contribute to dental evolution and functional interpretations in the hominin fossil record.

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GC Stories

Digging into a Dream: Ph.D. Student Follows Her Passion for Paleoanthropology

July 23, 2025

Ariel Barrera returns to the American Museum of Natural History — where her fascination began — to study ancient teeth and human evolution.

Honoring Hispanic Heritage in Their Scholarship and Service

September 15, 2025

Graduate Center students, alumni, faculty, and leaders of Latino heritage are shaping culture, informing policy, and building knowledge that will have a lasting impact.

Publications

Fanjul, A., Vega, J.A., Alonso-Llamazares, C., Álvarez, D., Fernández, M.A., Nava, H.S., Díez, T.E., Barrera, A., Martiño, A. y Suárez, D. (2024) “Alimentación y muerte en la alta montaña astur. Primeros datos procedentes de la sima de La Sobia (Tever ga, Asturias)”, Vaccea Anuario, 17, pp. 71-81. https://doi.org/10.69531/SJYU-9139-PNTV

Scientific Illustration

Publications:

Wygal, B. T., & Krasinski, K. E. (2019). POST-GLACIAL HUMAN COLONIZATION OF SOUTHERN ALASKA: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF TRAPPER CREEK. Alaska Journal of Anthropology, 17.

Figures 6, 8, and 9

Conference Presentations:

Hammond AS. 2025. Big mamas and big babies: Becoming human in the Pleistocene. Wellcome Connecting Science "From Fossils to Ancient and Modern Genomes."

Homo erectus female

Conference Presentations

PODIUM:

Gilbert, C.C., Arenson, J.L., Barrera, A, N., Strain, J.A., Won, J. (2025, March). Re-investigation of maxillary molar ratios, endocranial volume, prenatal growth rates, and body mass in catarrhine primates. [conference presentation abstract], Program of the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 186, e70031.https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.70031

POSTERS:

Barrera, A.N., Robinson, C. A., Martin, C., Hammond, A. S. (2026, March). Assessing Observer Error in micro-CT Segmentation of Hominid Tooth Roots. [conference presentation abstract], Program of the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 186, e70227. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.70227

Barrera, A.N., Robinson, C. A., Martin, C., Hammond, A. S. (2026, March). An Error Study for Segmentation of micro-CT Scanned Tooth Roots in Hominids. [conference presentation abstract], Annual Meeting of the Paleoanthropology Society. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.36568.15363

Barrera, A. N., Post, N. W., Ortiz, A., Hammond, A. S., & Pugh, K. D. (2024, April). Phylogenetic Analysis of the Lukeino Molar (KNM-LU 335) using Occlusal Morphology. In AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (Vol. 183, pp. 13-13). 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY.

Gazabon, A. V., Profico, A., Grine, F., Mongle, C. S., Barrera, A., Fuentes, E. M., ... & Cazenave, M. (2024, April). Comparison of medical vs. micro-computed tomography in the assessment of cortical bone thickness distribution in the primate femoral diaphysis. In AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (Vol. 183, pp. 186-186). 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY.

Barrera, A. N., & Robinson, C. A. (2023, April). ANTERIOR TEETH AND THE MANDIBULAR SYMPHYSIS: A Morphometric Analysis of Correlation in Extant Hominids. In AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (Vol. 180, pp. 13-13). 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY.