Walter Neves

Walter Alves Neves (Três Pontas, October 17, 1957) is a Brazilian biologist, archeologist, anthropologist and a retired professor from the Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology of the . He was responsible for the study of Luzia, the oldest human skeleton on the American continent that was discovered by French archaeologist Laming-Emperaire during the 1970s, and the oldest rock inscription on the American continent, phallocentric. During pre-doctoral training he was supervised by Prof. Cavalli-Sforza who studied human evolution from molecular markers. Neves worked with craniometric markers for six months under the supervision of Prof. Cavalli-Sforza. associate (2000 - 2008) and PhD (1992 - 2000) of the USP's Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, where he founded and coordinates the Laboratory for Human Evolutionary Studies, the only one of its kind in Latin America. Has scientific production since 1980 and advises undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of ecological anthropology, biological anthropology, prehistoric archaeology, human ecology, and evolutionary psychology during his ties with USP and the Goeldi Museum in Pará (1988 - 1992). He was also honored by his academic pupil, Prof. Mark Hubbe, in the journal PaleoAmerica.

In an interview for Piauí magazine, he said that he had retired due to being diagnosed with burnout syndrome. alongside Mariana Moura, as state deputy, for the same party, and received 0.05% of the votes.

Luzia Walter Neves was not the discoverer of the fossil of Luzia, but he was the one who had access to the skull, which was in the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, and who prepared more detailed studies of the piece. It was he who baptized the archeological find of Luzia, previously called only the skeleton of Lapa Vermelha IV, in reference to the archeological site where it was found, excavated by the French-Brazilian mission, coordinated by Annette Emperaire. In 1990 American archaeologist Tom Dillehay of the University of Kentucky saw the instruments and recognized that some of them looked like they were made by humans. After the results were released, Neves said, "From my point of view, this is incontrovertible evidence that the artifacts were made by humans",(...) "She deserves this credit". In 2012 Neves said that after having access to the lithic material that Niéde herself made available, he believes 99.9% that she is correct, but still not totally convinced.

Areas of dedication Biological anthropology Ecological anthropology Archaeology of hunter-gatherer Human evolution Speciation

Scientific publications Book “Antropologia Ecológica. Um Olhar Materialista Sobre As Sociedades Humanas”, São Paulo (SP): Cortez, 1996, v.1. p. 86.

Most important articles “O modelo dos dois componentes biológicos principais: sua inserção nos eventos expansionistas do final do pleistoceno e suas implicações para a origem do Homo sapiens” in O Carste. Belo Horizonte (MG), v.14, n.1, p. 42 - 49, 2002. “Fuegian cranial morphology: the Haush” in Ciência e Cultura. São Paulo (SP), v.53, n.2, p. 69 - 71, 2001 “The Buhl burial” in American Antiquity. Estados Unidos, v.65, n.-, p. 191 - 193, 2000.