Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology

Benjamin Campbell

My research interests are in the area of human evolutionary biology. I am particularly interested in understanding the interplay of ecological and evolutionary factors in biological variation among living human populations. I have addressed this question in investigations of male reproductive biology, including physiology, behavior, and fertility. Specific projects have included fieldwork among Turkana pastoralists of Kenya designed to understand the impact of harsh ecological conditions on male reproductive function. Another project has studied the role of pubertal change and hormone on the behavior of adolescent boys in Zimbabwe.

I am currently working expanding my initial efforts with two comparative projects. One is an investigation of patterns of male reproductive senescence using salivary testosterone among populations in the U.S., Japan, Poland, Venezuela and Zimbabwe, in collaboration with Peter Ellison at Harvard University. The other, with Micheal Muhlenbein is a comparison testicular size, morphometric and hormone levels among two species of macaques designed to understand the impact of seasonal breeding on reproductive function and body composition.

Further work, currently in the planning stage, is intended to investigate the role that adrenal androgens may play in modulating the impact of ecological factors on male reproductive function.

2000. Lukas W. and B.C. Campbell Evolutionary and Ecological Aspects of Early Brain Undernutrition in Humans. Human Nature 11:1-26.
1999. Campbell B.C., Leslie P.W., Little M.A., Brainard J.M., and M.A. DeLuca. "The Settled Turkana" in Turkana Herders of the Dry Savanna: Ecology and Biobehavioral response of nomads to an uncertain environment. Little MA and Leslie, PW (eds.) Oxford University Press. pp. 333-352.
1999. Halpern C.T., Udry J.R., Campbell B.C. and C. Suchindran. Effects of body fat on weight concerns, dating and sexual activity: A longitudinal analysis of black and white females. Developmental Psychology. 35:721-726.
1996. Rilling J., C. M. Worthman C.M., Campbell B.C., Stallings J.F. and M. Mbizvo. Ratios of plasma and salivary testosterone throughout puberty: production vs. bioavailability. Steroids 61:374-8.
1996. Harlow S.D. and B.C. Campbell. Ethnic differences in the duration and amount of menstrual bleeding during the post menarcheal period. American Journal of Epidemiology 144:980-9.
1995. Campbell B.C. and P.W. Leslie. The reproductive ecology of human males. Yearbook of Physical Anthropology 38:1-26.
1995. Campbell B.C., and J.R. Udry. 1995. Mother's age at menarche, not early childhood stress predicts age at menarche. Journal of Biosocial Science 27:127-134.
1994. Campbell B.C. and M. Mbizvo. Sexual behavior and HIV-knowledge among adolescent boys in Zimbabwe. Central African Journal of Medicine 40:245-250.