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RESEARCH & PROJECTS
The relationship between the conformation of the sound-conduction apparatus in the middle ears of reptiles and birds and hearing function is poorly understood, confounding attempts to investigate adaptive sensory hypotheses and the evolution of the hearing system in deep time. My dissertation work aims to quantify variation in the middle-ear systems of diverse sauropsid reptiles, evaluate osteological correlates for middle-ear structures in reptiles and birds, and then use these correlates to reconstruct the soft-tissue middle-ear morphology of extinct non-avian dinosaurs.
COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS OF THE MIDDLE-EAR CONDUCTION SYSTEM IN SAUROPSID REPTILES
This project’s goals are:
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to quantify morphological variation in the conduction apparatus across Sauropsida
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test a hypothesis of ecological adaptation in suliform seabirds as a case study in quantifying mechanical performance
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test the predictive strength of hard-tissue correlates with soft-tissue middle-ear anatomy
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use these correlates to reconstruct the soft-tissue middle-ear morphology of select extinct non-avian dinosaurs.
Building upon work done by a former lab colleague, I developed an interactive 3D digital model of the holotype of Stegoceras validum, an herbivorous dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Alberta. CT scan data and media available at the Witmerlab VI Pachycephalosaur page.
While exploring tools for 3D anatomical visualization, I constructed an interactive skull of Ara macao, the scarlet macaw, from an Ohio University Vertebrate Collections specimen. Media include 3D pdfs, animations, and soft-tissue reconstructions. Data and media available at the Witmerlab VI Parrot page.