Welcome to the Lab!

In our lab, we study anatomical adaptation predominantly to dietary and locomotive specialization in mammals, especially primates and carnivores.

• We analyze live animal behavior, muscle fiber architecture, and the shape of bones and teeth often in an effort to deduce the abilities (e.g., diets) of extinct species from their fossil remains.

• In addition to our anatomical research, we receive funding for projects focused on the effects of participation in STEM activities on students' interest in STEM professions.

Lab News

Updated April 2026

Spring 2026

Ismail Waleed (Applied Zoology BS expected '27) was given a Harkema Award by NC State's Department of Applied Ecology. This monetary award will support a research trip to UC Berkeley to collect data for his project studying bone surface modification in Triassic vertebrates. 

Ethan Price (Zoology BS expected '27) was given a Harkema Award by NC State's Department of Applied Ecology. This monetary award will support a research trip to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City to collect data for his project studying variation in muscle architecture in fluid-fixed specimens. 

Louise Winter (Biology BS '26) was awarded the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship. The fellowship program provides three years of financial support to students who “have demonstrated potential for significant achievements in research." In the 2025-2026 cycle, the fellowship was awarded to 2,500 students nationwide from an applicant pool of nearly 14,000 applicants. See her interview in this article. 

Congratulations!

Spring 2025

Arin Berger (Biology BA '25, MS expected '27) was given the "Graduating Senior Resilience Award" by the Department of Biological Sciences and subsequently chosen from all of the other departmental winners to receive that honor from the whole College of Sciences. This award recognizes a student that has overcome significant hardship during their time at NC State and persisted through that adversity to achieve at a high level both personally and academically.

Reece Brown (Zoology BS '26) was given a Harkema Award by NC State's Department of Applied Ecology. This monetary award was given to him to support a research trip that Reece will take to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City to collect data for his project studying the Morphological Effects of Captivity on large herbivores.

Congratulations!

Summer 2025 Trips

Madagascar

Students traveled to Madagascar to present research on establishing osteological correlates for key dietary variables used in the estimation of jaw gape and bite force and to collect data on rare subfossil lemur specimens.

The Smithsonian, Washington D.C.

Students traveled to Washington D.C. to collect data on skull morphology of various mammal specimens (including grey foxes, raccoons, and many ungulates) at the Smithsonian.