Dr. Emily Early, curator of anthropology for Arizona Museum of Natural History, 53 N. Macdonald in Mesa, is a significant contributor to a new book, “African Paleoecology and Human Evolution,” that details how humans evolved in the dynamic African landscape.

“I’m thrilled with the publication of this book and excited to contribute to current and future paleoecological research,” Early said in a release.

She is an expert in her field and has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and in history from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University. In addition, she has an MPhil and doctorate from Yale University.

Early was awarded the Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship in the human origins department at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History from 2011 to 2013.

Her contributions to “African Paleoecology and Human Evolution” are the result of her dissertation and postdoctoral work.