Goran Strkalj

Associate Professor Goran Strkalj
BA, MA (Belgrade), PhD (Witwatersrand)

Dr Štrkalj is a biological anthropologist and anatomist. His main research interests are in human biological variation and evolution, ‘race’, history of biological anthropology and science education. Prior to his arrival to Macquarie, Dr Štrkalj was working in the School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. As a Research Associate he was also affiliated with the Wellcome Trust for the History of Medicine at the University College London. He is currently Research Associate in the Institute for Human Evolution at the University of the Witwatersrand. 

Dr Štrkalj has been teaching a number of courses including human and comparative anatomy, histology, human variation, human evolution, history of science and research methods. He is a member of various professional associations in biological anthropology, anatomy and history of science. He also organised and chaired several scientific symposia. Dr Štrkalj has acted as the manuscripts reviewer for the Proceedings of the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa, Wits University Press, Clinical Anatomy, South African Medical Journal, South African Humanities, Glasnik Etnografskog Instituta SANU, South African Journal of Science and Medical Science Monitor, and the projects reviewer for the National Research Foundation (South Africa).

Courses convened: Introduction to Human Anatomy (HLTH107), Introductory Histology (HLTH132 and CHIR133), Clinical Anatomy 1,2,3,4 (HLTH209, HLTH210, HLTH307, HLTH308)

Courses taught: Introduction to Human Anatomy (HLTH107), Introductory Histology (HLTH132 and CHIR133)

Administrative roles: Director of Research (Department of Chiropractic)

Research interests: human variation, “race”, history of biological anthropology, science education

• Email: goran.straklj@mq.edu.au
• Phone: 612 9850 6197
• Fax: 612 9850 6389
  University address: Department of Chiropractic
  Macquarie University Australia 2109

Publications

Books/edited volumes:

Štrkalj, G. (ed.) Teaching Human Variation: Issues, Trends and Challenges. Hauppauge: Nova  Science Publishers (accepted).

Tobias, P.V., Štrkalj, G. and Dugard, J.J. 2008. Tobias in Conversation: Genes Fossils and Anthropology. Johannesburg: Wits University Press.

Štrkalj, G. 2008. Beyond Race: A Prolegomenon for the Study of Human Biological Variation. Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag.

Štrkalj, G., Pather, N. and Kramer B. (eds.) 2005. Voyages in Science: Essays by South African Anatomists in Honour of Phillip V. Tobias’s Eightieth Birthday. Pretoria: Content Solutions.

Papers in journals/edited volumes:

Štrkalj, G. Using experimental history of science in teaching biological atnrhopology. In: Rice P., D. McCurdy D., and Lucas S. (eds.) Strategies in Teaching Anthropology, sixth edition. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Prentice Hall (accepted).

Štrkalj, G. Introduction. In: Štrkalj, G. (ed.) Teaching Human Variation: Issues, Trends and Challenges. Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers (accepted).

Štrkalj, G. and Beirman R. Bad old days of anthropology revisited: using experimental history of science in teaching human variation. In: Štrkalj, G. (ed.) Teaching Human Variation: Issues, Trends and Challenges. Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers (accepted).

Wilkinson A.T., Štrkalj, G. and Spocter M. Should human variation be thought to medical students. In: Štrkalj, G. (ed.) Teaching Human Variation: Issues, Trends and Challenges. Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers (accepted).

Dayal, M., Kegley, A.D.T., Štrkalj, G., Bidmos, M.A., Kuykendall, K.L. The history and composition of the Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. American Journal of Physical Anthropology (in print).

Štrkalj, G. 2009. “Race”: a note on terminology. In: M.K. Bhasin and C. Susanne (eds.) Trends and Scope of Human Biology. New Delhi: Kamla-Raj Enterprises (accepted).

Gibbon, V.E., Penny C.B., Štrkalj, G., Ruff, P. 2009. Minimally invasive bone sampling method for DNA analyses. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 139: 596-599.

Gibbon V., Paximadis M., Štrkalj G., Ruff P., and Penny C.  2009. Novel methods of molecular sex identification from skeletal tissue using the amelogenin gene Forensic Science International: Genetics 3: 74-79.

Kaszycka, K. A. , Štrkalj, G. and Strzałko J. 2009. Current views of European anthropologists on race: influence of educational and ideological background. American Anthropologist 111(1): 43-56.

Štrkalj, G. 2008. A hundred and fifty years of Gray’s Anatomy (guest editorial). Adler Museum Bulletin 34(2): 1-4.

Štrkalj G. and Chorn D. 2008. Herophilus of Chalcedon and the practice of dissection in Hellenistic Alexandria. South African Medical Journal 98: 86-89. 

Štrkalj, G. and Tobias P.V. Raymond Dart as a pioneering primatologist. HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology 59: 271-286.

Gibbon, V.E., Štrkalj, G., Harington, J. and Penny C.B. A review of DNA analysis of archaeological and ancient tissues. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 63 (2): 145-149.

Manger P., Cort, J, Ebrahim N., Goodman A., Henning J., Karolia M., Rodrigues S.-L.  and Štrkalj, G. 2008. Is 21st century neuroscience too focussed on the rat/mouse model of brain function and dysfunction?, Frontiers in Neuroanatomy 2: 5, doi:10.3389/neuro.05.005.2008.

Štrkalj, G. 2008. A hundred and fifty years of Gray’s Anatomy (guest editorial). Adler Museum Bulletin 34(2): 1-4.

Štrkalj, G. 2007. The status of the race concept in contemporary biological anthropology: a review. Anthropologist 9: 73-78.

Štrkalj, G., Gibbon V.E.  and Wilkinson A. T. 2007. Teaching human variation: can education change students’ attitudes towards ‘race’?  Glasnik Etnografskog Instituta SANU 55(1): 253-258.

Kuykendall, K.L. and Štrkalj G. 2007. A history of South African palaeoanthropology. In: P. Bonner, A. Esterhuysen, T. Jenkins (eds.) A Search for Origins: Science, History and South Africa’s “Cradle of Humankind”, pp. 28-49. Johannesburg: Wits University Press.

Štrkalj, G. 2007. The study of human variation. In: V. Bhasin and M.K. Bhasin (eds.) Anthropology Today: Trends, Scope and Applications, pp. 161-165. New Delhi: Kamla-Raj Enterprises.
 
Naidoo N.P., Štrkalj G. and Daly T.J.M. 2007. The alchemy of human variation: race, ethnicity and Manoiloff’s blood reaction. Anthropological Review 70: 37-43.

Štrkalj G. and Kaszycka K.A. 2007. Professor Leonard Lieberman (1925-2007). Anthropological Review 70: 80-81.

Spocter M.A. and Štrkalj G. 2007. Darwinian medicine: an evolutionary perspective on health and disease. South African Medical Journal 97: 1044-1046. 

Štrkalj, G.  and Gibbon V.E. 2007. The race concept in contemporary biological anthropology. In: Bodzsár É.B. and Zsákai A. (eds.) New Perspectives and Problems in Anthropology, pp. 37-46. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Štrkalj, G. 2006. The study of human variation. Anthropologie, 44: 123-126.

Štrkalj, G and Wilkinson A.T. 2006. “Race” and biomedical research: an educational perspective. Education for Health 19(1): 111-114.

Štrkalj, G. 2006. Professor Dart’s exhibit: The fossil ape found at Taungs, man’s nearest relation (1925)by Grafton Elliot Smith. Archives of Natural History 33(1): 174-175.

Štrkalj, G. 2006. Artificial classification and the study of human variation. Rivista di Biologia – Biology Forum 99: 14-20.

Štrkalj, G. 2006. Some notes on the early history of the Taung discovery. In Yang Decong (ed.) Collected Works for “The 40th Anniversary of Yuanmou Man Discovery and the International Conference on Palaeoanthropological Studies”, pp. 255-259. Kunming: Yunnan Science and Technology Press. 

Štrkalj, G. 2006. Broom, Robert. In C. Plug (ed.) S2A3 Biographical Database of
Southern African Science. s2a3.up.ac.za/bio/Main.php.

Štrkalj, G. 2006. Şenyürek, Muzaffer Süleyman. In C. Plug (ed.) S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science. s2a3.up.ac.za/bio/Main.php.

Štrkalj, G. 2006. Wells, Lawrence Herbert. In C. Plug (ed.) S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science. s2a3.up.ac.za/bio/Main.php.

Woodward, V., Penny, C. B., Ruff, P. and Štrkalj, G. 2006. Intercondylar fossa of the femur: a novel region for DNA extraction. South African Archaeological Bulletin 61(183): 96-97.

Wilkinson, A.T. and Štrkalj, G. 2005. Use of the race concept in anthropometry. Applied Ergonomics, 36: 121.

Štrkalj, G. and Pather, N. 2005. Phillip Vallentine Tobias and his voyages in science: a biographical sketch. In Štrkalj, G., Pather, N. and Kramer B. (eds), Voyages in Science: Essays by South African Anatomists in Honour of Phillip V. Tobias’s Eightieth Birthday, pp. 3-11. Pretoria: Content Solutions.

Štrkalj, G. and Wilkinson, A.T. 2005. The influence of a modicum of education on students’ attitudes towards the concept of race. In Štrkalj, G., Pather, N. and Kramer B. (eds), Voyages in Science: Essays by South African Anatomists in Honour of Phillip V. Tobias’s Eightieth Birthday, pp. 179-186. Pretoria: Content Solutions.

Štrkalj, G. 2005. Ideological historiography in biological anthropology: Deniker, Montagu and ‘ethnic group’. International Journal of Humanistic Studies, 4: 34-44.

Štrkalj, G. 2005. J. H. H. Pirie and South African molecular anthropology. Adler Museum Bulletin, 31(1): 18-19.

Štrkalj, G., Adams J. and Wang Q. 2005. Robert Broom’s first reconstruction of the adult Australopithecus. South African Journal of Science 101: 217-218.

Štrkalj, G. 2005. A note on the early history of the Taung discovery: debunking the
‘paperweight’ myth. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 42: 97-98.

Štrkalj, G. 2005. Two early photographs of the Taung skull. The Digging Stick 22(3): 14.

Štrkalj, G., Ramsey, S. and Wilkinson, A.T. 2004. Anatomists’ attitudes
towards the concept of race. South African Medical Journal, 94: 90-91.

Štrkalj, G. 2004. More on the early taxonomy of Australopithecus. Anthropological Review, 67: 111-113.

Štrkalj, G. 2004. Suk, Vojtech. In C. Plug (ed.) S2A3 Biographical Database of
Southern African Science. s2a3.up.ac.za/bio/Main.php.

Lieberman, L., Kaszycka, K. A., Fuentes, A. J. M.,  Yablonski, L., Kirk, R. C.,
Štrkalj, G., Wang, Q. and Sun, L. 2004. The race concept in five regions: variations without consensus. Collegium Antropologicum, 28:  907-921.

Wang, Q., Štrkalj, G. and Sun, L. 2003. On the concept of race in Chinese biological anthropology: alive and well. Current Anthropology, 44: 403.

Štrkalj, G. and Sherman, B. 2003. South Africa and Evolution: an unpublished
manuscript by Robert Broom. Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 39: 123-130.

Štrkalj, G. 2003. Robert Broom’s theory of evolution. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 58: 35-39.

Kaszycka, K. A. and Štrkalj, G.  2002. Anthropologists’ attitudes towards the concept of race: the Polish sample. Current Anthropology,43: 329-335.

Štrkalj, G. 2002. Introduction to fantastic anthropology. Adler Museum Bulletin, 28(1): 8-13.

Wang, Q., Štrkalj, G. and Sun, L. 2002. The status of the race concept in Chinese biological anthropology. Anthropologie, 40: 95-98.

Štrkalj, G. 2001. Form: a new term for the study of human variation. Durban Museum Novitates, 26: 57-58.

Štrkalj, G. 2000. Form and race: terminological concepts for the study of human variation. Mankind Quarterly, XLI(1): 109-118.

Štrkalj, G. 2000. The conflict of pre-paradigm schools in modern human origins research. Acta Biotheoretica, 48: 65-71.

Štrkalj, G. 2000. Inventing races: Robert Broom’s research on the Khoisan. Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 37: 113-124.

Štrkalj, G. 2000. Still no consensus on race? International Association of Human Biologists Newsletter, 30: 28-32.

Štrkalj, G. 2000. Becoming a hominid: notes on the early taxonomy of Australopithecus. Anthropological Review, 63: 31-38.

Štrkalj, G. 2000. X-raying human origins: Dragutin Gorjanovic-Kramberger and the first application of radiography in palaeoanthropology. Adler Museum Bulletin, 26(3): 4-7.

Štrkalj, G. 1999. Reactions to creationism series vary. American Biology Teacher, 61: 485-486.

Štrkalj, G. 1998. Where was Raymond Dart wrong? African Studies, 57: 107-111.

Štrkalj, G. 1998. Can South Africans live without race? Sidelines (Southern  African Quarterly), Winter(15): 69-71.

Štrkalj, G. 1998. Is culling morally justifiable? African Wildlife, 52(2): 39.

Štrkalj, G. 1997. Early colonization of America. In N. F. Pavkovic (ed.) The Encounter of Two Worlds, Belgrade: Faculty of Philosophy, pp. 15-23. (in Serbian, abstract in English).

Štrkalj, G. 1996. Accident or design? Robert Broom’s theory of human evolution. Acta  Academica,Supplementum 1: 1-73.

Štrkalj, G. 1995. Robert Broom’s ‘South Africa and Evolution’. South African Archaeological Bulletin, 50(161): 86-87.

Štrkalj, G. 1991. Recent views on the ontogeny of Australopithecus. Humanitas, 1/2: 63-73. (in Serbian, abstract in English).

Book reviews:

Štrkalj G. 2008. Review of Dale Peterson: Jane Goodall: The Woman who Redefined Man. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 136: 371-372.

Štrkalj, G. 2004. Review of John Komlos and Timothy Cuff: Classics in Anthropometric History. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 125: 204-205.

Štrkalj, G. 2003. Review of Jeffrey McKee: The Riddled Chain: Chance, Coincidence and Chaos in Human Evolution. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 9:385-386.

Štrkalj, G. 2003. The founders of the ‘Missing Link’. Dart, 4(1-2)[n.s.]: 10-12.

Štrkalj, G. 2003. Review of Frances Wheelhouse and Kathaleen S. Smithford: Dart: Scientist and Man of Grit. PaleoAnthropology, 1: 35-36.

Štrkalj, G. 2002. Review of Pat Shipman: The Man Who Found the Missing Link:
Eugène Dubois and His Lifelong Quest to Prove Darwin Right, and Frances Wheelhouse and Kathaleen S. Smithford: Dart: Scientist and Man of Grit. Anthropological Review, 65: 93-96.

Abstracts:

Solyali, V. and Štrkalj, G. 2009. Evaluation of research output in anatomy        departments: beyond the disciplinary differences. Clinical Anatomy 22: 407.

Dayal, M., Kegley, A.D.T., Štrkalj, G., Bidmos, M.A., Kuykendall, K.L. 2009. The Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons: history, inventory and demographic assessment. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 40: 115.

Čvorović J., Gallagher A., Gibbon V.E. and Štrkalj G. 2008. Nutritional status of the Serbian Roma: a preliminary study. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 39: 86.

Gibbon V.E. Penny C.B., Štrkalj G. and Ruff P. 2008. Novel methods of molecular sex determination utilising the amelogenin gene. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 39: 103.

Štrkalj, G and Wilkinson A.T. 2006. The importance of teaching human variation to medical students. Clinical Anatomy 19: 739.

Štrkalj, G and Wilkinson A.T. 2006. Can racial attitudes be changed by education? Clinical Anatomy 19: 743.

Štrkalj, G., Wang, Q. 2004. ‘Meeting your ancestor’: Some notes on Robert Broom’s first encounter with the Taung Child. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 35: 190.

Wang, Q., Štrkalj, G. and Sun, L. 2002, The concept of race in Chinese biological anthropology. Collegium Antropologicum, Supplement 26: 236.

Božić, J. and Štrkalj, G.  2002. Conceptual clustering and the study of human variation. Collegium Antropologicum, Supplement 26: 30.

Štrkalj, G. and Heneberg M. 2002. The resurrection of Adam: Robert Broom’s
theory of evolution. HOMO -Journal of Comparative Human Biology, 53(2): 189.

Štrkalj, G. and Tobias, P. 2002. Raymond Dart as a primatologist. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 33: 150.

Štrkalj, G. 2000. Form: a terminological suggestion for the study of human variation. Evolutionary Theory, 12(3): 89.

Štrkalj, G. 1996. Robert Broom on the vomero-nasal organ (the organ of Jacobson), Journal of Anatomy, 188: 498.

Other:

Štrkalj, G. 2005. Amiable bodies: the Congdon Museum of Anatomy at the Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. Newsletter of the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa, 2(1): 7.

Štrkalj, G., Wilkinson, A.T. and Ramsey, S. 2004. South African anatomists and ‘race’: the results of the 2003 survey. Newsletter of the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa, 1 (45): 6.

Štrkalj, G. 2003. The chaos of human evolution. Dart, 4(3) [n.s.]: 7-8.

Štrkalj, G. and Štrkalj, M. 2001. Eighty years of molecular anthropology in South Africa. Dart, 2(3) [n.s.]: 7-8.

Štrkalj, G. 2000. ‘I had no intentions of claiming anything…’: a confidential letter from R. B. Young to R. A. Dart. Dart 1(1)[n.s]: 4-5.

Štrkalj, G. 1997. Comment on Rushton. Society, 35(1): 6.

HDR Students

Brendon Billings (University of the Witwatersrand, MSc),
Zwelihle Ngwenya (University of the Witwatersrand, MSc),
Veli Solyali (MSc).

Research Grants

University of Belgrade, Government of Serbia (Ministry of Science), University of the Witwatersrand, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Institute for the Study of Mankind in Africa, Palaeontology Scientific Trust (PAST), Anatomical Society of Southern Africa, Anderson Cappeli Fund (South Africa), Chiropractic Association of Australia.

Updated July 2009