Theodore Elmer White (1905–1977), also known as "Ted" or "Doc",[1] was an American paleontologist and zooarchaeologist.
White pioneered the use of animal remains as indicators of human behavior in archaeological settings.
[2] He also helped develop the Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) system, which helps archaeologists determine the minimum number of individuals represented within a skeletal assemblage.
Although, he was never classically trained in zooarchaeology, he likely acquired knowledge in the field through his later work.
[3] In 1932, White began working at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Anatomy, where he remained until 1947.