Ian Towle holds a PhD in Biological Anthropology from Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, where he completed his thesis on tooth wear and dental pathologies in fossil hominins. He then completed a two year postdoctoral position at the University of Otago in New Zealand, studying mechanical properties and structure of primate teeth from an evolutionary perspective. He then moved to the United States to complete a six month research position at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, where he undertook research on tooth erosion and microwear. He now holds a postdoctoral contract in Leslea Hlusko's Tied2Teeth project (ERC).¨