Welcome to Our Lab-
Interspecies Research Network
Sharada Channarayapatna's Research Group
The Interspecies Research Network (IRN-IITGN), led by Professor Sharada Channarayapatna stands as a research group within the Earth Sciences Department and the Archaeological Sciences Centre at IIT Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
With a strong commitment to multidisciplinary exploration, the team engages in a wide array of research domains, including zooarchaeology, human-animal studies, cultural studies, multispecies anthropology, forensic bio-geoarchaeology, and numerous other nuanced fields.
Beyond traditional academic boundaries, the team aims to comprehensively explore past and present lives, acknowledging the interconnectedness of species and the environments in which they cohabit. This encompasses interactions between humans and animals, humans and various physical elements within landscapes, as well as human interactions with any living or nonliving entities. Such an inclusive approach is crucial in building a more holistic and sustainable future, underscoring the significance of comprehending the needs, behaviours, and contributions of nonhuman species.
This perspective offers a novel understanding of the complexities surrounding interspecies relationships, fostering a paradigm shift in diverse academic fields of sciences with humanities and social sciences- a true representation of interdisciplinarity.
IRN News
IRN Lab doctoral researcher Angad Lamba has been awarded a competitive participation grant to attend the 45th International Symposium on Archaeometry (ISA 2026), to be held in Turin, Italy (18–22 May 2026). At the symposium, Angad will present his research titled “Plough, Cart and Adaptation: Tracing Human–Environment Interaction Through Bovid Traction in Harappan Gujarat”. His work explores the role of animal traction in shaping human–environment interactions in Harappan Gujarat, contributing to broader discussions on subsistence strategies and adaptation. The participation grant has been made possible through a dedicated fundraising initiative promoted by CCR “La Venaria Reale” (Italy) with support from Fondazione Intesa Sanpaolo. We warmly congratulate Angad on this achievement and wish him a productive and enriching experience at ISA 2026!
Affiliations at IIT Gandhinagar
Archaeological Sciences Centre
Kiran C Patel Centre for Sustainable Development
Department of Earth Sciences
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
