Miriam Belmaker is a Paleolithic archaeologist and paleoanthropologist. Her research focuses on environmental change primarily in the past 2 million years and how it affected hominid biological and cultural evolution. She analyzes fossil faunal remains obtained from archaeological and paleontological sites to reconstruct ancient environments through space and time and to ask questions about human evolution. To track climate change through space and time, Belmaker uses both zooarchaeological and paleontological methods. She is currently building a large comparative collection to assist in her research. This includes comparative collection of modern species and fossil casts.