My PhD dissertation work centers around the origin of lumbar vertebrae as a distinct functional unit and critical component of mammalian locomotion. Vertebral morphology represents an intriguing trade-off between phylogenetic history and functional adaptation. I am exploring how this trade-off led to the evolution of multiple solutions to the same functional problems.

I use everything from microCT scanning to photogrammetry to make 3D models of fossils and bones. I have worked extensively with open source software like 3D Slicer, Blender, and Meshlab and developed workflows as a research assistant from every step of the 3D digitization pipeline. I use these models for quantitative analysis of morphology.

The first mammals to evolve after the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago were an unusual combination of recognizable ancestors to groups like primates and horse and bizarre creatures like the carnivorous creodonts (Patriofelis pictured above). From creodont locomotion to rodent tooth wear, I explore how these mammals interacted with their environments and how those interactions changed as continents moved and the Earth cooled.

Prior to entering graduate school, I worked for a utility company, digitizing old work records into a GIS database. I applied these skills to paleontological data while an intern at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon. I digitized >1000 fossil locality records and used this data to create a help create a new fossil inventory management plan.