Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Luca is the Head of the Palaeodiet Research Lab (www.palaeodiet.org) and his research focuses on functional morphology of the masticatory apparatus in human and non-human primates, and on the importance of the role of diet in human evolution. He has published peer-reviewed articles in top tier multidisciplinary science journals such as Nature (Senior Author), Nature, Ecology & Evolution and Current Biology, as well as high-impact anthropological journals such as Journal of Human Evolution and the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. He has been listed among Australia's Top Researchers in 2025 and in 2020 by The Australian's Research Magazine as Leader in the field of Anthropology. He has attracted competitive internal and external research funding totalling >$3.1M AUD, including four ARC-Discovery Projects. He has wide experience in running research-intensive training workshops in cranio-dental functional morphology, digital anatomy and biomechanics.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
External positions
Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Palaeoanthropology, University of New England (Australia)
2015 → …
Research area keywords
- Anthropology
- Biomechanics
- Human Evolution
- Palaeodiet
- Functional Morphology
- Occlusion
- Masticatory System
- Neanderthals
- Palaeontology
- Primatology
- Dental Anatomy
- Archaeology
- Climate Change Adaptation
- Ecology
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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From foraging to farming. Human adaptations during major transitions
Fiorenza, L. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Benazzi, S. (Partner Investigator (PI)) & Sarig, R. (Partner Investigator (PI))
Australian Research Council (ARC)
1/08/24 → 31/07/27
Project: Research
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Bite’s evolution: a biomechanical study of Pleistocene humans in Europe
Martín-Francés , L. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Fiorenza, L. (Supervisor), Martinón Torres, M. (Supervisor) & Arsuaga Ferreras, J. L. (Supervisor)
1/01/24 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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A real-time biomechanical study of Neanderthal anterior dentition
Fiorenza, L. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Benazzi, S. (Partner Investigator (PI)) & Sarig, R. (Partner Investigator (PI))
1/09/19 → 30/11/22
Project: Research
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Understanding the evolution of human diet through digital anatomy and dental biomechanics
Fiorenza, L. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)) & Yuzuru, H. (Partner Investigator (PI))
25/03/16 → 30/11/16
Project: Research
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Understanding the evolution of human diet through digital anatomy and dental biomechanics
Fiorenza, L., Adams, J., Herries, A., Joannes-Boyau, R., Wroe, S. W., Benazzi, S., Kullmer, O. & Evans, A.
1/01/16 → 31/12/16
Project: Other
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Biomechanical approach to the third hand hypothesis in Neanderthals
Hernaiz Garcia, M., Najafzadeh, A., Benazzi, S., Sarig, R., Fu, J., Hublin, J.-J., Kullmer, O., Pokhojaev, A., Sorrentino, R., Vazzana, A., Piccirilli, E. & Fiorenza, L., 2024, p. 79. 1 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
Open Access -
Diet of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens from macrowear analysis of mandibular molars
Hernaiz-García, M., Oxilia, G., Benazzi, S., Sarig, R., Fu, J., Kullmer, O. & Fiorenza, L., Apr 2024, In: Journal of Archaeological Science. 164, 10 p., 105950.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (Scopus) -
Efficient complete denture metal base design via a dental feature-driven segmentation network
Li, C., Jin, Y., Du, Y., Luo, K., Fiorenza, L., Chen, H., Tian, S. & Sun, Y., Jun 2024, In: Computers in Biology and Medicine. 175, 17 p., 108550.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus) -
Finite element analysis of Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens maxillary central incisor
Najafzadeh, A., Hernaiz-García, M., Benazzi, S., Chen, B., Hublin, J. J., Kullmer, O., Pokhojaev, A., Sarig, R., Sorrentino, R., Vazzana, A. & Fiorenza, L., Apr 2024, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 189, 14 p., 103512.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
Masticatory habits of the adult Neanderthal individual BD 1 from La Chaise-de-Vouthon (France)
Hernaiz-García, M., Zanolli, C., Martín-Francés, L., Mazurier, A., Benazzi, S., Sarig, R., Fu, J., Kullmer, O. & Fiorenza, L., May 2024, In: American Journal of Biological Anthropology. 184, 1, 14 p., e24926.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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Monash BDI Awards for Outstanding Achievement
Adams, J. (Recipient) & Fiorenza, L. (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
- 1 Contribution to conference
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Annual Meeting of the European Society for the Study of Human Evolution (ESHE 2020)
Fung, S. (Speaker), Lee, J. (Speaker), Yong, R. (Speaker), Ranjitkar, S. (Speaker), Kaidonis, J. A. (Speaker), Panagiotopoulou, O. (Speaker), Pilbrow, V. (Speaker) & Fiorenza, L. (Speaker)
2020Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
Press/Media
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Humans were changing the planet earlier than we knew
30/08/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Neanderthals commonly suffered from surfer's ear
15/08/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Breastfeeding in our earliest human ancestors
16/07/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Profile/Interview
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Early humans breastfed their young for a year, study says
Renaud Joannes-Boyau, Ian Moffat, Justin Adams, Luca Fiorenza & Alistair Evans
15/07/19 → 16/07/19
18 items of Media coverage, 2 Media contributions
Press/Media: Article/Feature