Research Projects

Understanding Patterns of Morphological Diveristy in the Fossil Record

I use statistical tools like linear and geometric morphometrics to qunatify and contextualize patterns of morphological variation we can observe in the fossil record. Much of my recent work has been spent using novel statistical frameworks to test the classic hypothesis that uintatheres, mammals belonging to the extinct order, Dinocerata, exhibit evidence of strong sexual dimorphism. By studying patterns of morphological variation in the fossil record, we can not only gain new insights into the diversity and life histories of extinct taxa, but also revisit classical ideas about biology such as the prevalence of sexual dimorphism and the role of sexual selection more broadly.

Sexual dimorphism in skull length among extant and recently extinct herbivores. Estimates of the estimated sexual dimorphism index in Uintatherium anceps obtained using two different approaches are indicated by the red lines.

Resolving the Phylogenetic Affinities and Biogeographic Histories of Paleogene Mammals

KUVP 156012: Right dentary of a new species of Paleocene mammal from the Bison Basin of Wyoming. This species may represent one of the earliest Afrotheres in the fossil record.

The Paleogene Period (66-23 Ma) was a key interval of mammalian evolution. Clades diverisified in the wake of the K-Pg to form endemic faunas around the globe and the earliest definitive of extant mammalian orders appeared. Dramatic climatic events led to rapid changes in the Earth's temperature and the connectedness of continents, resulting in highly dynamic patterns of biogeography.

I am broadly interested in the enigmatic clades of mammals which appeared and diversified during this Period. I am especially inetrested in using novel methods to better resolve the phylogenetic affinities of early-diverging groups and understand their biogeographic histories.

Studying Vertebrate Life on an Ancient Archipelago

As a member of the Beard Lab, I am extremely fortunate to conduct fieldwork in and have access to fossils from a number of Eocene-aged sites in Turkey. During the Eocene, Turkey was part of an archipelago system known as Balkanatolia, and I have been working with international colleagues and our post-baccalaureate researchers to produce the first description of the herpetofauna from this assemblage.

EOU-UCF-15, right maxilla from a choristodere, the first such known from Turkey.

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