Research

Columbids (pigeons and doves) are a geographically widespread group. But some species adapted to living solely on the group, as fully terrestrial. These species (the iconic Dodo and its sister species the Solitaire) are unfortunately extinct. My forthcoming research will focus on their anatomy, evolutionary relationships, and ecology. 

(Photo of a Dodo skeleton! Results to be published soon!)

Metriorhynchoid thalattosuchians were the crocodylian equivalent of dolphins. They lived during the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous (~180-134 million years ago), and evolved flippers and a tail fin. My research focuses on their anatomy, evolutionary relationships, feeding ecology and the land-to-sea transition. 

Teleosauroid thalattosuchians were closely related to metriorhynchoids. During the Jurassic teleosauroids were found across the world, with species ranging from 2 - 7.2 m in length. Most species looked similar to the living gharial, most likely preying primarily on fish. However, some teleosauroids (like Machimosaurus) were specialists that fed on sea turtles. My work focuses their anatomy, evolutionary relationships, feeding ecology, diversification, and their role in the land-to-sea transition.  

(Photos are of Cricosaurus [top] and Bathysuchus [bottom].)

Tethysuchians were the second major radiation of marine crocs. They first appear in the Late Jurassic, survived the end Cretaceous mass extinction only to become extinct when the early whales evolved.  Like teleosauroids, most tethysuchians were similar to the living gharial. My work focuses their anatomy, evolutionary relationships, feeding ecology and diversification.  (Photo of Sarcosuchus imperator on display in Paris.)

One of the big questions in crocodylomorph systematics is: where do the thalattosuchians belong? Unfortunately, different datasets hypothesise very different positions for them in the croc family tree. 

This on-going project hopes to address this question (amongst others). Our 2024 paper is the first step in this process, and our datasets are showing some interesting results!  (Photograph of Platysuchus multiscrobiculatus.)

Thalattosuchian (teleosauroids and metriorhynchoids) represent the pinnacle of marine specialisation within Crocodylomorpha. However, what changes inside the skull had to occur for thalattosuchians to diversify within the marine realm? 

This project looks inside the croc skull. To see how the brain, inner ears, sinuses, salt glands, and other neurosensory systems of this group changed as they became pelagic.

(Internal reconstructions of 9 crocs! See our first paper on this project.)

Germany has one of the biggest, and best, collections of thalattosuchian fossils. Many of which were discovered in the 18th-19th Centuries. Many thalattosuchian genus and species names  are based on these historical German fossils. Unfortunately, like all historical collections they need to be periodically re-examined as new ideas, newly discovered specimens and new techniques come to the fore.

This on-going project aims to re-describe the important historical specimens from Germany and German-speaking countries, as well as describe newly discovered specimens. This project is ran by Sven Sachs and myself, with numerous collaborators from Germany. Some of the papers from this project are already out!  (Photograph of Cricosaurus albersdoerferi.)