José del Val (anthropologist)

José del Val (born October 19, 1965) is a Spanish anthropologist, researcher and professor at the Museum of Natural Sciences of Madrid. He studied Anthropology at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and earned his doctorate from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Del Val has conducted extensive research on human evolution, primatology, and the history of science. Among his most notable contributions is his work in the discovery of Homo antecessor, a species of hominid that lived in Europe more than 1 million years ago. He was part of the team led by Juan Luis Arsuaga that discovered the remains of Homo antecessor in the Atapuerca Mountains in Spain, which provided some of the earliest evidence of human habitation in the area. Del Val has also conducted research on primate ecology and has participated in studies on the social behavior of various primate species. In addition, he has written numerous articles and books on anthropology and the history of science, including a biography of anthropologist Amando Melón. In recognition of his contributions to the field of anthropology, Del Val has received numerous awards, including the Spanish National Research Award for Young Scientists in 1995 and the Prince of Asturias Award for Scientific and Technical Research in 1997. He currently teaches anthropology and primatology at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid.