World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Earth Science

D-Index
55
Citations
13302
World Ranking
2524
National Ranking
1054

Richard Potts publication distribution in Earth Science in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Earth Science in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Richard Potts sits on this spectrum.

38–42 publications: 1 scientists 43–47 publications: 0 scientists 48–52 publications: 3 scientists 53–57 publications: 8 scientists 58–62 publications: 11 scientists 63–67 publications: 16 scientists 68–72 publications: 24 scientists 73–77 publications: 31 scientists 78–82 publications: 49 scientists 83–87 publications: 77 scientists 88–92 publications: 86 scientists 93–97 publications: 88 scientists 98–102 publications: 92 scientists 103–107 publications: 84 scientists 108–112 publications: 102 scientists 113–117 publications: 108 scientists 118–122 publications: 117 scientists 123–127 publications: 126 scientists 128–132 publications: 146 scientists 133–137 publications: 114 scientists 138–142 publications: 102 scientists 143–147 publications: 127 scientists 148–152 publications: 102 scientists 153–157 publications: 112 scientists 158–162 publications: 102 scientists 163–167 publications: 127 scientists 168–172 publications: 121 scientists 173–177 publications: 112 scientists 178–182 publications: 109 scientists 183–187 publications: 98 scientists 188–192 publications: 92 scientists 193–197 publications: 105 scientists 198–202 publications: 77 scientists 203–207 publications: 80 scientists 208–212 publications: 89 scientists 213–217 publications: 70 scientists 218–222 publications: 74 scientists 223–227 publications: 74 scientists 228–232 publications: 70 scientists 233–237 publications: 67 scientists 238–242 publications: 59 scientists 243–247 publications: 67 scientists 248–252 publications: 51 scientists 253–257 publications: 46 scientists 258–262 publications: 41 scientists 263–267 publications: 39 scientists 268–272 publications: 34 scientists 273–277 publications: 39 scientists 278–282 publications: 35 scientists 283–287 publications: 36 scientists 288–292 publications: 35 scientists 293–297 publications: 29 scientists 298–302 publications: 23 scientists 303–307 publications: 39 scientists 308–312 publications: 34 scientists 313–317 publications: 23 scientists 318–322 publications: 18 scientists 323–327 publications: 18 scientists 328–332 publications: 21 scientists 333–337 publications: 20 scientists 338–342 publications: 15 scientists 343–347 publications: 13 scientists 348–352 publications: 24 scientists 353–357 publications: 25 scientists 358–362 publications: 10 scientists 363–367 publications: 20 scientists 368–372 publications: 17 scientists 373–377 publications: 18 scientists 378–382 publications: 15 scientists 383–387 publications: 7 scientists 388–392 publications: 22 scientists 393–397 publications: 9 scientists 398–402 publications: 11 scientists 403–407 publications: 16 scientists 408–412 publications: 4 scientists 413–417 publications: 5 scientists 418–422 publications: 14 scientists 423–427 publications: 8 scientists 428–432 publications: 7 scientists 433–437 publications: 7 scientists 438–442 publications: 10 scientists 443–447 publications: 10 scientists 448–452 publications: 3 scientists 453–457 publications: 9 scientists 458–462 publications: 11 scientists 463–467 publications: 4 scientists 468–472 publications: 6 scientists 473–477 publications: 11 scientists 478–482 publications: 8 scientists 483–487 publications: 2 scientists 488–492 publications: 3 scientists 493–497 publications: 4 scientists 498–502 publications: 4 scientists 503–507 publications: 4 scientists 508–509 publications: 4 scientists 510+ publications: 100 scientists
38 publications 510+

This scientist: 129 publications — 25th percentile

25% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 510 publications or more.

Richard Potts D-index placement in Earth Science in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Earth Science scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Richard Potts sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 15 scientists 31 D-Index: 42 scientists 32 D-Index: 60 scientists 33 D-Index: 90 scientists 34 D-Index: 103 scientists 35 D-Index: 108 scientists 36 D-Index: 142 scientists 37 D-Index: 147 scientists 38 D-Index: 147 scientists 39 D-Index: 152 scientists 40 D-Index: 143 scientists 41 D-Index: 157 scientists 42 D-Index: 141 scientists 43 D-Index: 151 scientists 44 D-Index: 140 scientists 45 D-Index: 135 scientists 46 D-Index: 121 scientists 47 D-Index: 108 scientists 48 D-Index: 128 scientists 49 D-Index: 111 scientists 50 D-Index: 106 scientists 51 D-Index: 112 scientists 52 D-Index: 102 scientists 53 D-Index: 103 scientists 54 D-Index: 94 scientists 55 D-Index: 61 scientists 56 D-Index: 101 scientists 57 D-Index: 71 scientists 58 D-Index: 65 scientists 59 D-Index: 78 scientists 60 D-Index: 93 scientists 61 D-Index: 56 scientists 62 D-Index: 58 scientists 63 D-Index: 52 scientists 64 D-Index: 63 scientists 65 D-Index: 49 scientists 66 D-Index: 53 scientists 67 D-Index: 57 scientists 68 D-Index: 50 scientists 69 D-Index: 44 scientists 70 D-Index: 44 scientists 71 D-Index: 31 scientists 72 D-Index: 33 scientists 73 D-Index: 33 scientists 74 D-Index: 23 scientists 75 D-Index: 32 scientists 76 D-Index: 24 scientists 77 D-Index: 17 scientists 78 D-Index: 19 scientists 79 D-Index: 9 scientists 80 D-Index: 21 scientists 81 D-Index: 20 scientists 82 D-Index: 17 scientists 83 D-Index: 19 scientists 84 D-Index: 19 scientists 85 D-Index: 14 scientists 86 D-Index: 6 scientists 87 D-Index: 14 scientists 88 D-Index: 17 scientists 89 D-Index: 10 scientists 90 D-Index: 8 scientists 91 D-Index: 8 scientists 92 D-Index: 9 scientists 93 D-Index: 6 scientists 94+ D-Index: 98 scientists
30 D-Index 94+

This scientist: 55 D-Index — 67th percentile

67% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 94 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2005 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 2004 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

Richard Potts is affiliated with the National Museum of Natural History in the United States and specializes in research spanning Earth and Planetary Sciences, Social Sciences, and Environmental Science. Their work frequently intersects the subfields of Anthropology, Paleontology, Ecology, Atmospheric Science, and Social Psychology.

Potts has contributed extensively to topics including Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology, Evolution and Paleontology Studies, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Geology and Paleoclimatology Research, Primate Behavior and Ecology, Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies, as well as Archaeology and ancient environmental studies.

Their recent papers demonstrate a continued focus on hominin evolution and environmental variation. Key publications include:

  • "Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus" (2023) in Science
  • "Increased ecological resource variability during a critical transition in hominin evolution" (2020) in Science Advances
  • "Investigating Biotic Interactions in Deep Time" (2020) in Trends in Ecology & Evolution
  • "The Challenges of Reconstructing Tropical Biodiversity With Sedimentary Ancient DNA: A 2200-Year-Long Metagenomic Record From Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda" (2020) in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
  • "Eastern African environmental variation and its role in the evolution and cultural change of Homo over the last 1 million years" (2021) in Journal of Human Evolution

Potts has frequently collaborated with several notable researchers in their field. Frequent co-authors include:

  • Rahab N. Kinyanjui
  • René Dommain
  • Anna K. Behrensmeyer
  • Thomas W. Plummer
  • Peter Ditchfield

Publication venues where Potts's work appears consistently include:

  • Science Advances (2 publications)
  • Journal of Human Evolution (2 publications)
  • Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology (2 publications)
  • Science
  • Trends in Ecology & Evolution

Among professional recognitions, Potts has been awarded the status of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) twice, in 2004 and 2005.

Best Publications

  • Cutmarks made by stone tools on bones from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

    Richard Potts;Patty Lee Shipman

  • The Formation of Human Populations in South and Central Asia

    Vagheesh M. Narasimhan;Nick Patterson;Nick Patterson;Priya Moorjani;Nadin Rohland;Nadin Rohland

  • Terrestrial Ecosystems Through Time: Evolutionary Paleoecology of Terrestrial Plants and Animals

    Norton G. Miller;Anna K. Behrensmeyer;John D. Damuth;William A. DiMichele

  • Mid-Pleistocene Acheulean-like Stone Technology of the Bose Basin, South China

    Hou Yamei;Richard Potts;Yuan Baoyin;Guo Zhengtang

  • Evolution of early Homo: An integrated biological perspective

    Susan C. Antón;Richard Potts;Leslie C. Aiello

  • Terrestrial Ecosystems Through Time

    David Bartley;A.K. Behrensmeyer;J.D. Damuth;W.A. DiMichele

  • New evidence on the earliest human presence at high northern latitudes in northeast Asia

    R. X. Zhu;R. Potts;F. Xie;K. A. Hoffman

  • Early hominid activities at Olduvai

    Richard Potts

  • Humanity's Descent: The Consequences of Ecological Instability

    Richard Potts

  • Single-crystal 40Ar/39Ar dating of the Olorgesailie Formation, Southern Kenya Rift

    Alan Deino;Richard Potts

  • Hominin evolution in settings of strong environmental variability

    Richard Potts

  • Earliest presence of humans in northeast Asia.

    RX Zhu;KA Hoffman;R Potts;CL Deng

  • Long-distance stone transport and pigment use in the earliest Middle Stone Age

    Alison S. Brooks;Alison S. Brooks;John E. Yellen;John E. Yellen;Richard Potts;Anna K. Behrensmeyer

  • Late Pliocene faunal turnover in the Turkana Basin, Kenya and Ethiopia

    Anna K. Behrensmeyer;Nancy E. Todd;Richard Potts;Geraldine E. McBrinn

  • Paleolandscape variation and early pleistocene hominid activities: members 1 and 7, Olorgesailie formation, Kenya.

    Richard Potts;Anna K. Behrensmeyer;Peter Ditchfield

  • High-resolution vegetation and climate change associated with Pliocene Australopithecus afarensis

    Raymonde Bonnefille;R. Potts;F. Chalié;D. Jolly

  • Holocene shifts in the assembly of plant and animal communities implicate human impacts

    S. Kathleen Lyons;Kathryn L. Amatangelo;Anna K. Behrensmeyer;Antoine Bercovici

  • Water Flow and the Formation of Early Pleistocene Artifact Sites in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

    Michael D. Petraglia;Richard P. Potts

  • Alternating high and low climate variability: The context of natural selection and speciation in Plio-Pleistocene hominin evolution.

    Richard Potts;J. Tyler Faith

  • Magnetostratigraphic dating of early humans in China

    Rixiang Zhu;Zhisheng An;Richard Potts;Kenneth A. Hoffman

  • Why the Oldowan? Plio-Pleistocene Toolmaking and the Transport of Resources

    Richard Potts

Frequent Co-Authors

Anna K. Behrensmeyer
Anna K. Behrensmeyer National Museum of Natural History
Alan L. Deino
Alan L. Deino Berkeley Geochronology Center
J. Tyler Faith
J. Tyler Faith University of Utah
Peter Ditchfield
Peter Ditchfield University of Oxford
Robin W. Renaut
Robin W. Renaut University of Saskatchewan
Conrad C. Labandeira
Conrad C. Labandeira Smithsonian Institution
Gary R. Graves
Gary R. Graves National Museum of Natural History
Craig S. Feibel
Craig S. Feibel Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Scott L. Wing
Scott L. Wing National Museum of Natural History
Andrew S. Cohen
Andrew S. Cohen University of Arizona

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