Exzellenzcluster - HUMAN ORIGINS

Dr. Tegan Foister

Postdoctoral Researcher

A photo of Tegan Foister, a white woman standing with crossed arms in front of a mud profile in a fieldwork situation. She is looking right, wearing a wide brimmed olive hat, dark sunglasses, a teal shirt and black cargo pants.

Universität Tübingen
Cluster of Excellence HUMAN ORIGINS

Humboldstraße 12
D-72074 Tübingen

tegan.foisterspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de

 Researchgate

Research

"In my project I am modelling the human niche during the Middle Pleistocene by integrating data from computer models, physical proxies, and archaeology. My primary research interest is exploring the diverse roles which humans have filled in global ecosystems, how they have transformed through time and how this has lead to the current biodiversity crisis and climate change.“

Curriculum vitae

Since 04/2026
Postdoctoral Researcher

Human Origins Cluster of Excellence, University of Tübingen

12/2020-08/2025
Doctoral Researcher

Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki

09/2016-06/2020
Master studies

Master in Science with First Class Honours, University College London

Scientific work

Publications

  • Foister, T.I.F. & Wilson, O.E. (2026, Preprint). Anthropocentrism as a source of sampling bias in the fossil record. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.04.709576 
     
  • Foister, T. I. F., Liu, L., Saarinen, J., Tallavaara, M., Zhang, H., Žliobaitė, I. (2024). Quantifying heterogeneity of hominin environments in and out of Africa using herbivore dental traits. Quat. Sci. Rev., 337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108791 
     
  • Foister, T. I. F., Žliobaitė, I., Wilson, O. E., Fortelius, M., Tallavaara, M. (2023). Homo heterogenus: variability in early Pleistocene Homo environments. Evol. Anth.,1-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.22005  
    -- among the top 10 most-cited papers published by Evolutionary Anthropology in 2023.
     
  • Foister, T. I. F., & Felice, R. N. (2021). Ecometric modelling of limb proportions and vegetation index among non-human primates in South America. Hystrix It. J. Mamm., 32(1) 
    55–59. https://doi.org/10.4404/hystrix-00374-2020

Peer Review

  • Nature Communications
  • Quaternary Science Reviews

Fieldwork

  • Nihewan Basin, China (October 2023)
  • Fuente Nueva 3, Orce, Spain (June 2023)
  • ‘Ubeidiya, Israel (November 2022)
  • Els Casots, Spain (June 2022)

Conferences

2024

Björn Kurtén Centenary Celebration
Poster: ‘Anthropocentrism as a source of sampling bias in the fossil record’, Tegan I.F. Foister & O.E. Wilson.

2023

ESHE 
Presentation: ‘Quantifying Heterogeneity of Hominin Environments in and out of Africa’, Tegan I.F. Foister, M. Tallavaara, L. Liu, M. Fortelius, & I. Žliobaitė. 

XXI INQUA Conference
Poster: ‘Quantifying Heterogenity in Homo Envrionments’, Tegan I.F. Foister, M. Tallavaara, L. Liu, M. Fortelius, & I. Žliobaitė. 

2022

NOW 25th Anniversary Meeting 
Presentation: ‘An assessment of heterogeneity in hominin palaeoecology through hypsodonty of mammalian communities.’ Tegan I.F. Foister, M. Fortelius, M. Tallavaara & I. Žliobaitė.

EGU General Assembly 
Presentation: ‘Homo heterogenus: Variability in early Pleistocene Homo environments.’ Tegan I.F. Foister, M. Fortelius, M. Tallavaara & I. Žliobaitė.