Anthropologist Profile: Deandre Miles-Hercules, Linguistic (Anthropology) Doctoral Student

deandre miles-hercules (Photo by Mariah Webber)

 

There have been several Anthropologist Profiles on this blog, and the vast majority focus on individuals with terminal degrees working either within or outside of academia.  There have been very few that have spotlighted up and coming anthropologists at the student level.  Typically, students are seldom featured because they are focusing on their studies, developing and honing the skills to become notable anthropologists in their own right.  There are, however, students who maintain the delicate balance between learning and performing scholarship, which is when they become eligible to be featured herein.  University of California, Santa Barbara linguistics doctoral student deandre miles-hercules (they/them) is one such individual who has beyond earned such recognition.

 

Hailing from Price George’s County in Maryland deandre has established theirself as an integral part of the anthropological community.  They earned their Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University with specializations in linguistics, anthropology, and African American Studies.  Deandre followed up their B.A. with a Masters of Arts in Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.  They are currently continuing their doctoral education in linguistics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  Their research, which focuses on language, power, culture, and identity within Black, femme, queer, and trans communities, is funded in part through the National Science Foundation. 

 

Deandre has an amazing educational pedigree, which is complemented by their numerous awards and accolades.  During their tenure at Emory they earned several accolades, including the Award for Excellence in the Study of Linguistics and the Modupe Dayo Civic Engagement Award.  They have also published numerous pieces in various prestigious journals, including the Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, The Oxford Handbook of Language and Sexuality (2022), Pedagogy, and Gender and Language.

 

Service is also an important part of deandre’s resume.  They have completed the Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program, National Science Foundation REU program, and Smithsonian Science Education Center internship.  They also recently served as a graduate mentor for the UCSB-HBCU Scholars in Linguistics Program.  Currently, deandre serves in various executive positions with the Linguistic Society of America’s OMBUDS Committee and Committee on Ethnic Diversity in Linguistics, in addition to being a Member at Large for the Association of Black Anthropologists’ Executive Board.

 

In addition to all of these activities deandre makes time to serve as an expert consultant for various news outlets and magazines, including Vox, Yahoo, and Vice News.  Their public anthropological work is featured in various outlets, and they also advocate on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community, including speaking on the matter of Alpha Phi Alpha considering a ban of transgender members.  This advocacy more than likely stems from their belief “that education is freedomwork and they strive resolutely to examine, expand, and sharpen our tools for living freely and combating inequality,” a statement this blog author wholeheartedly agrees with.

 

Works Cited

Anderson, T. (2024, July 11). GLAAD EXCLUSIVE: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Considers Transgender Ban. Retrieved from GLAAD: https://glaad.org/glaad-exclusive-alpha-phi-alpha-fraternity-considers-transgender-ban/

Association of Black Anthropologists. (N.D.). ABA Executive Board. Retrieved from Association of Black Anthropologists: https://aba.americananthro.org/

Miles-Hercules, D. (N.D.). Doctoral Student: Deandre Miles-Hercules. Retrieved from Stanford Graduate School of Education: Black Academic Development Lab: https://badlab.stanford.edu/people/deandre-miles-hercules

 

 

Secrets Uncovered Within the Human Family Tree: New Genetic Study Sheds Light on Interbreeding Among Hominid Ancestors

Over a decade ago it was discovered that contemporary human populations’ DNA was not solely their own.  When Neanderthal DNA was sequenced it was quickly realized that they contributed DNA to anatomically modern Homo sapiens that existed contemporaneously with them.  Since then it was discovered that contemporary human DNA also contains Denisovan DNA, as well as potentially other yet to be discovered hominid population’s DNA.  A recent breakthrough in paleo-DNA studies, however, has cracked another code unexpectedly.  Intermixture among closely related hominid groups did not occur recently but started over a million years ago.

 

Scholars from Cambridge University’s Department of Genetics sought to explore the genetic relationships among hominid ancestors.  They knew from previous research that interbreeding was commonplace thousands of years ago, which begged the question as to if and when this may have occurred early.  They analyzed data available through the 1000 Genomes Project and the Human Genome Diversity Project using a new method of their creation.  This method, known as coalescence-based reconstruction of ancestral admixture (cobra), examines DNA to identify patterns of intermixture and separation among populations, and what they discovered was nothing short of remarkable.

 

They discovered that there were two ancestral hominid populations that split from each other 1.5 million years ago.  They referenced the two populations as Population A and Population B.  These populations remained genetically distinct from each other until 300,000 years ago, when they began interbreeding again.  The interbred populations that came from the unions of Populations A & B eventually gave rise to modern humans, with Population A contributing 80% of its genetics to humans and Population B contributing 20%.  The genetic contributions from Population B, albeit small, were incredibly important as these genes may have improved and enhanced brain function among modern human groups.  There was a tradeoff, however.  Complications in having children were also contributed.

 

At the present time it is unclear which hominid species made up the founders of Populations A & B.  This is in part due to the lack of genetic evidence that can be collected from fossilized remains.  The scholars hypothesize that the founding populations may have been Homo habilis or Homo heidelbergensis, but this is based on the timelines derived from the genetic data (as in H. habilis and H. heidelbergensis existed 1.5 million years ago).  This is not a statement of fact.

 

Ultimately, these results demonstrate that interbreeding among hominid populations was not a recent phenomenon but one that occurred much earlier than originally known.  It also opens up the potential to recognize that such relationships occurred among various hominid species.  If this can be further scrutinized and identified then a more precise human lineage could be identified.

 

Bibliography

Cousins, T., Scally, A., & Durbin, R. (2025). A structured coalescent model reveals deep ancestral structure shared by all modern humans. Nature Genetics.

Killgrove, K. (2025, March 18). 'Mystery population' of human ancestors gave us 20% of our genes and may have boosted our brain function. Live Science.

StudyFinds Staff. (2025, March 18). Breakthrough DNA Analysis Reveals Everyone on Earth Shares Genes from Two Ancient Populations. Historical News, Study Finds.

University of Cambridge. (2025). Genetic study reveals hidden chapter in human evolution. Retrieved from University of Cambridge: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/genetic-study-reveals-hidden-chapter-in-human-evolution

The Maasai

Figure 1: Map of contemporary Maasai occupation (Source: The Maasai Association)

 

The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania (Figure 1) are one of the most recognizable indigenous ethnic groups of Africa.  Well known for their colorful attire and being some of the foremost long-distance runners chances are you have seen or heard of the Maasai ahead of reading this blog post.  You may not, however, know much about them, which is what this post seeks to remedy.  This post will explore the Maasai people and their culture.

 

The Maasai were and remain one of the largest indigenous ethnic groups in eastern Africa (Figure 2).  They have a long history in the area, tracing their roots back to the Nubian empire.  They have long been characterized as fierce warriors who fight with spears and orinkas (thrown clubs).  This characterization, however, has in large part been promoted by British colonizers, who ultimately could not best the Maasai in combat and instead manipulated them through the British court system.  This led the Maasai to unknowingly and unfairly cede much of their lands and territories to the British, leading them to be relocated to reserve lands throughout Kenya and Tanzania.  Today, the 900,000 Maasai continue to face adversity as the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments attempt to force them to abandon their traditional way of life.  The Maasai have largely rejected these attempts, although small numbers of Maasai have acquiesced.

 

The Maasai share a rich culture.  They remain largely semi-nomadic pastoralists who raise cattle and goats.  They construct temporary dwellings and villages throughout the year.  Women build their homes, which are known as Inkajijik.  These are circular or elongated dwellings that are easily constructed and torn down.  Maasai men are responsible for constructing the Enkang, a circular fence that surrounds the village and protects their cattle and other livestock.  

 

Figure 2: A group of Maasai dressed in traditional attire (Source: Shem Compion)

 

Because of their emphasis on herding animals the Maasai diet is rich in beef, milk, fat, and blood.   Milk is consumed fresh or curdled, and it sometimes mixed with fresh cattle blood.  This concoction is consumed during either rituals or for medicinal purposes. They also consume honey, tree bark, rice, maize, and cabbage, which they gather or grow through horticultural practices. 

 

The Maasai are a very patriarchal society, meaning men rule and control the resources within the group.  They are also characterized as monotheistic, meaning they worship one god.  Their beliefs dictate that only chiefs are buried, while other deceased members of their tribe are left out to decompose and be consumed by scavengers.  Wealth inequalities exist within the group since wealth is tied to the number of children and cattle a man has.  If a man has one but not another (e.g., cattle but no children or children but no cattle) he is considered impoverished.

 

Maasai men and women wear colorful attire that differentiates them by gender, age, and location.  Boys and men will wear black attire for months after they are circumcised.  Red garments are preferred among the Maasai, but they can be found wearing any number of colorful garb.  They often adorn themselves in jewelry.  Men and women also pierce or stretch their ear lobes.

 

Music is also a central part of their cultural traditions.  It is through music they maintain their language, Maa.  They also share their histories, beliefs, and more through music.  Maasai music is rhythmic, involving a chorus singing harmonies and a song leader, called the olaranyani, sings the melody.  This individual is often the individual who sings the song best, meaning this individual can change based on skills, talents, and the song itself.

 

Works Cited

Maasai Association. The Maasai People. No Date. Electronic. 1 April 2025.

Masai Mara Travel. Maasai Tribe. 2025. Electronic. 1 April 2025.

Siyabona Africa (Pty) Ltd. The Maasai Tribe, East Africa. 2024. Electronic. 1 April 2025.

The Wild Co. The Maasai. 2016. Electronic. 1 April 2025.