‘I have a PhD!’: Pitt anthropologist ridiculed after claiming men, women have same bones
His comments were immediately followed by laughter, to which he responded, 'I have a PhD.'
Professor Gabby Yearwood told an audience of students that men and women have indistinguishable bone structures.
An anthropologist from the University of Pittsburgh is making headlines after claiming men and women have indistinguishable bone structures during a “Protect Women’s Sports” event.
On Mar. 27, Riley Gaines, an ex-swimmer from the University of Kentucky, was hosted by Pitt’s TPUSA chapter to discuss her experiences with competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.
At the end of Gaines’ speech, attendees were given the opportunity to ask her questions, which one Pitt professor took advantage of.
[RELATED: ‘Moral versus evil’: Riley Gaines speaks out at the University of Pittsburgh]
Professor Gabby Yearwood, the anthropologist in question, flaunted his PhD after being asked whether or not men and women have different bones by Gaines.
.@Riley_Gaines_ to anthropologist: “If you were to dig up… 2 humans… 100 years from now, both man and woman, could you tell the difference, strictly off of bones?”
”No.”
*CHAOS*
”I’m not sure why I’m being laughed at if I’m the expert in the room. ... I have a PhD!” pic.twitter.com/YYW76ISevI— Vince Coglianese (@VinceCoglianese) March 30, 2023
“If you were to dig up … two humans … both man and woman … could you tell the difference, strictly off bones?” Gaines asked Yearwood.
Yearwood’s “no” response was followed by the room erupting in laughter, to which Yearwood took offense, saying that he is the “expert in the room” and that he has a PhD.
Despite the PhD-holder’s claims, other research cuts against Yearwood’s assertion.
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, “Within the same population, males tend to have larger, more robust bones and joint surfaces, and more bone development at muscle attachment sites.”
”However, the pelvis is the best sex-related skeletal indicator, because of distinct features adapted for childbearing. The skull also has features that can indicate sex, though slightly less reliably,” the website continues.
An article summarizing the findings of Boston University School of Medicine researchers corroborates these statements.
”Sex is typically determined by the morphology (shape) of the pelvis or skull and long bone measurements,” reads the article.
In response to the professor’s comments, Riley Gaines told Campus Reform that it is “chilling” that someone like that is teaching at Pitt.
”It’s chilling to think that the people put in place to teach the next generation are either incompetent on the material they’re teaching which has been solidified for centuries or they would rather lie to push along the ‘progressive’ narrative they want to spread,” Gaines said.
She continued, “What Professor Yearwood proved is that denying objective truth and facts is not uncommon. He also proved that PhDs don’t make one an ‘expert.’”
Lili Orozco, Pitt TPUSA President, referred to Yearwood’s comments as “concerning.”
“It is concerning to think that this professor has a PhD and is teaching lies to the students. It is factually incorrect to say we cannot identify a difference between male and female bone structures,” Orozco told Campus Reform.
Yearwood currently teaches multiple anthropology courses at the University of Pittsburgh, most of which are activism-oriented.
”Activist Anthropology,” one of the courses he teaches, focuses on “decolonizing” the research process.
“Such research can contribute to transforming the discipline by addressing knowledge production and working to decolonize our research process. Rather than seeking to avoid or resolve the tensions inherent in anthropological research on human rights, activist research draws them to the fore, making them a productive part of the process,” the course description reads.
Campus Reform reached out to every individual and institution mentioned for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
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