About

I am a biological anthropologist and zooarchaeologist focusing on the evolution of hominin behavior: early stone-tool technologies, carcass processing, and how ancient ecologies shaped our lineage. My work combines faunal analysis, taphonomy, and paleoecology across African Plio-Pleistocene sites.

Current appointment: Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Fairfield University.

Human evolution Oldowan & Acheulean Faunal analysis Geometric morphometrics Palaeoecology

Research

Early Stone Tools & Behavior

Understanding the origins and variability of Oldowan technologies and their ecological contexts.

Zooarchaeology & Taphonomy

Faunal evidence for carcass access, butchery, and site formation processes.

Paleoecology of Elandsfontein

Reconstructing environments and hominin activity in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Selected Publications

  1. Plummer TW, Oliver JS, Finestone EM, et al. (incl. Forrest FL). 2023.

    Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus. Science 379(6632):561–566.
    PubMed

  2. Forrest FL. 2017.

    Zooarchaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction of Newly Excavated Middle Pleistocene Deposits from Elandsfontein, South Africa. Ph.D. Dissertation, CUNY Graduate Center.
    Open Access PDF

  3. Braun DR, Pickering R, Bishop LC, et al. (incl. Forrest F.). 2013.

    Mid-Pleistocene hominin occupation at Elandsfontein, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews.
    PDF

Press & Highlights

Fairfield University: Research named a top discovery in human evolution (2024)

Coverage of the Nyayanga Oldowan findings and broader impact.

Read the article

Patch: Fairfield faculty featured in Smithsonian (2024)

Feature on early stone tools and Nyayanga discoveries.

Read the article

CT Insider: Connecticut professor helped discover Earth’s oldest confirmed tools (2024)

Profile and background on fieldwork in Kenya.

Read the article

Teaching

At Fairfield University, courses and seminars span biological anthropology, human evolution, and archaeological science, emphasizing hands-on analysis and critical engagement with the fossil and archaeological records.

Biological Anthropology Human Evolution Archaeological Science