M. Jesse Schneider

Jesse Schneider is an interdisciplinary environmental anthropologist who received his PhD from the University of Miami (2024), following an MSc from the University of Exeter (2018) and undergraduate degrees from the Pennsylvania State University (2016). His work focuses on applying historical ecology methods to contemporary environmental science challenges.

He is an active member of the Proyecto Arqueológico del Suroeste (PASO), investigating subsistence strategies among the earliest inhabitants of southwest Puerto Rico, and the Matecumbe Chiefdom Project, examining habitation patterns and political organization among Indigenous communities of the Florida Keys. 

Jesse's research takes a mixed methods approach by integrating field ecology methods with other data sources like archival resources, the archaeological record, and ethnographic and ethnohistoric sources. Current focuses include an examination of sea turtle zooarchaeology in greater Miami, FL,  historic use of freshwater resources in the Florida Keys, and oral histories and public opinion of Florida panthers among agricultural communities.
 

Degrees and Education

PhD (2024) University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
MSc (2018) University of Exeter, Falmouth, Cornwall, UK
BA, BS (2016) Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA

Courses

ANTH 0680 - Introduction to Biological Anthropology

What is biological anthropology, and what kinds of questions does it try to answer? This course is designed to introduce the undergraduate to the issues, theories and methods of biological anthropology as it is practiced in the US and elsewhere in the world. At its core, this is a science course which examines the origin and biological development of the human species through evolutionary biology. Beginning with a consideration of evolutionary and genetic principles, the course goes on to consider the diversity of fossil and extant primates, including humans and our recent ancestors. Topics in human anatomy, paleontology behavioral ecology, and bioarchaeology will also be addressed.

ANTH 0681 - Introduction to Human Evolution

What are the forces that have shaped human evolution? This course is designed to present undergraduates with an introduction to human evolution and, in general, the evolution of the larger group to which we belong, the order primates. The course begins with a review of the development of evolutionary ideas and modern developments in biology and geology, and then consders the diversity of living and fossil primates. Special consideration is give to the major discoveries and controversies surrounding our own evolutionary past, and major developments in human evolutionary history.

ANTH 1620 - Womb to Tomb

What changes do our bodies go through as we age, and how have different cultures made sense of this across time and space? This course will address basic theories and principles pertaining to the human lifecycle from both a biological and cultural point of view. It will discuss evolutionary changes in human growth patterns, assess environmental and genetic influences on human populations, and explore the different responses to all of these topics by human cultures both past and present.

 

Publications

Historical Ecology Case Studies in South Florida. M. Jesse Schneider. Doctoral dissertation, University of Miami. August 2024.

Comparison of seasonal pathogen loads support honey bees as potential spring pathogen reservoirs for bumble bees. Briana E. Wham, Elyse C. McCormick, Casey M. Carr, Nicole R. Bracci, Ashley C. Heimann, Timothy J. Egner, M. Jesse Schneider, and Heather M. Hines. Ecosphere, June 2024

Marine turtles as bio-indicators of plastic pollution in the eastern Mediterranean. Emily M. Duncan, Hasan Deniz Akboura, Patriza Baldi, Damla Beton, Annette C. Broderick, Burak Ali Cicek, Charlotte Crowe-Harland, Sophie Davey, Tess Deserisy, Wayne J. Fuller, Julia C. Haywood, Ecem Kaya, Lucy C. M. Omeyer, Meryem Ozkan, Josie L. Palmer, David Santillo, M. Jesse Schneider, Robin T. E. Snape, Brendan J. Godley. Marine Pollution Bulletin (201). April 2024

Charismatic megafauna, regional identity, and invasive species: What role does environmental archaeology play in contemporary conservation efforts? Meryl Shriver-Rice, M. Jesse Schneider, Christine Pardo. World Archaeology, 54 (4), October 2022

The Spanish Wells: Freshwater lenses and the Florida Keys. M. Jesse Schneider et al. Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, March 2022

Dietary analysis of two sympatric marine turtle species in the eastern Mediterranean. Josie L. Palmer, Damla Beton, Burak A. Çiçek, Sophie Davey, Emily M. Duncan, Wayne J. Fuller, Brendan J. Godley, Julia C. Haywood, Mehmet F. Hüseyinoğlu, Lucy C. M. Omeyer, M. Jesse Schneider, Robin T. E. Snape & Annette C. Broderick. Marine Biology, May 2021

Shellfish Collection Practices of the First Inhabitants of Southwestern Puerto Rico: The Effects of Site Type and Paleoenvironment on Habitat Choice. William J Pestle, Carmen Laguer-Díaz, M. Jesse Schneider, Megan Carden, Clark E Sherman, Daniel Koski-Karell. Latin American Antiquity, May 2021