Vincent M. Sarich | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 13, 1934 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | October 27, 2012 (aged 77) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Illinois Institute of Technology (BS) University of California, Berkeley (MA, PhD) |
| Known for | Research in human evolution[1] |
| Awards | Kistler Prize (2004) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Anthropology |
| Institutions | University of Auckland |
| Doctoral advisor | Sherwood Washburn |
Vincent Matthew Sarich (December 13, 1934 – October 27, 2012) was an American anthropologist and biochemist. He was Professor Emeritus in anthropology at University of California, Berkeley.
Sarich and his PhD advisor, Allan Wilson, used molecular data to estimate that humans and chimpanzees have a common ancestor just four to five million years ago. Their paper on their finding was published in 1967. At the time, scientists considered the common ancestor to live ten to 30 million years ago, and their revised estimate has become well accepted. Sarich generated controversy with his support for analyzing human behavior and populations in evolutionary terms.