Paleontology at OHIO

Faculty	Bob Carr	Dan Hembree	Gene Mapes	Royal Mapes	Pat O'Connor
Faculty	Gar Rothwell	Nancy Stevens	Alycia Stigall	Susan Williams	Larry Witmer
Researchers	Kerrin Claesson	Sebastian Eberts	Andrew Lee	Ryan Ridgely	Eric Snively

Faculty

Robert K. Carr	Department of Biological Sciences	back to top
I am interested in questions concerning diversity and extinction and the evolutionary patterns and processes associated with these phenomena emphasizing Devonian fishes. My interest in the evolution of early gnathostomes has combined phylogeny, evolution, ecology, and functional morphology of Arthrodira (Class Placodermi) in the context of global gnathostome patterns.

Daniel I. Hembree	Department of Geological Sciences	back to top
I investigate organism-substrate interactions in the geologic record through the study of ichnofossils and paleosols. I am interested in determining the response of ancient soil ecosystems to paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change. My research involves the study of both trace and body fossils as well as experimental work with modern organisms.

Gene K. Mapes	Department of Environmental & Plant Biology	back to top
Dr. Mapes investigates the paleobiology and paleoecology of ancient conifers and other seed plants, and their environmental stresses throughout geologic time, which requires integrated geological and botanical investigations, emphasizing plant anatomy, morphology, and systematics, combined with analyses of depositional environments, geochemistry, taxonomy, and plant/animal associations, in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Royal H. Mapes	Department of Geological Sciences	back to top
I am primarily an Invertebrate Paleontologist and my research program primarily combines paleobiology, paleoecology, biostratigraphy and depositional interpretation of primarily Midcontinent Upper Paleozoic rocks, with an emphasis on cephalopod paleobiology.

Patrick M. O'Connor	Department of Biomedical Sciences	back to top
My research integrates comparative anatomy, systematics, and biogeography with field paleontology to address topics in archosaurian (bird, crocodyliform, dinosaur) evolutionary morphology. Encompassing a variety of laboratory and museum approaches my morphological research examines the systematic variability and functional significance of postcranial pneumaticity in living birds and extinct archosaurs, including dinosaurs and pterosaurs. For several years I have been conducting paleontological field research in Tanzania and Madagascar, with the principle interest of elucidating the biogeographic history of vertebrate clades living in Gondwana during the Cretaceous and early Tertiary.

Gar W. Rothwell	Department of Environmental & Plant Biology	back to top
Gar conducts studies of fossil and living land plants that are directed toward a fuller understanding of phylogeny and evolution. These are explored using data from morphological, anatomical, ultrastructural, developmental, and molecular characters. Particular emphasis is placed on evolutionary developmental biology, reproductive biology, and organismal interactions to interpret the modern flora within the context of evolutionary ecology.

Nancy J. Stevens	Department of Biomedical Sciences	back to top
My research explores relationships between form and function in mammalian evolution. Vertebrate paleontological field research in sub-equatorial Africa and the Arabian Peninsula aims to unravel the roles of phylogeny and environment for shaping the development of morphological differences associated with specific locomotor and dietary regimes.

Alycia L. Stigall	Department of Geological Sciences	back to top
My research examines the interaction between paleobiogeography, paleoecology, and macroevolution during biodiversity crises. My research focuses on applications of GIS methods in paleobiogeography, phylogenetic reconstruction, long term effects of invasive species, and brachiopod and crustacean evolution.

Susan H. Williams	Department of Biomedical Sciences	back to top
My current research focuses on musculoskeletal biomechanics in the vertebrate head. Using a variety of techniques including comparative anatomy and morphology, electromyography and strain gauge applications, current projects seek to understand the evolution and function of the mammalian feeding apparatus. In addition to lab-based research, I currently lead two field projects. I recently initiated vertebrate paleontological fieldwork in the intermontane basins of southern Ecuador. The second project focuses on the feeding ecology and functional morphology of extant howling monkeys in Costa Rica.

Lawrence M. Witmer	Department of Biomedical Sciences	back to top
Research in my lab proceeds along a number of directions, but the overarching theme is functional morphology of the heads of vertebrates. A major focus for years has been the reconstruction of soft tissues (e.g., muscles, blood vessels, nerves, air sinuses, skin, etc.) in dinosaurs. Since fossils tend to preserve only hard parts like bones and teeth, much of the effort in the lab is devoted to studying modern animals.

Post-doctoral Researchers, Afiliated Researchers and Technicians


Kerin Claesson	Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies	back to top
Kerin is a postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies at Ohio University. Her research seeks patterns in morphology to infer processes of vertebrate evolution, in particular for fishes. To do this, she integrates comparative anatomy, developmental biology, paleontology, and phylogenetics. One of her current projects investigates the development of vertebral fusions, significant in the origin of multiple major groups of fishes. She also collaborates with colleagues in computer sciences to develop new bioinformatics research tools for gross anatomical morphology.

Sebastian Egberts	Department of Biomedical Sciences	back to top
Sebastian is the Chief Preparator at the OU Paleobiological Specimen Preparation Facility. He oversees fossil preparation, molding and casting, and specimen curation for a number of paleontological projects in the Stevens and O’Connor laboratories. His research has utilized microCT to prepare and describe delicate specimens such as captorhinids from the Permian of Texas and Oklahoma, and tritylodonts from the Kayenta Formation of Arizona. Areas of interest include the use of microCT in fossil preparation, along with other advanced fossil preparation techniques.

Eric Gorscak	Department of Biomedical Sciences	back to top
Eric is a fossil preparation technician for the O'Connor and Stevens laboratories. His work includes micro and macro fossil preparation, molding and casting, and curatorial duties of the Rukwa Rift Basin Project specimens. Areas of interest include Gondwanan paleobiogeography and paleobiology of sauropod dinosaurs.

Andrew Lee	Department of Biomedical Sciences	back to top
Andrew currently is an Instructor of Anatomical Sciences and a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Ohio University. His research primarily investigates how dinosaurs and other amniotes grew. He is interested in understanding the consequences to their microscopic structure of bone during evolutionary changes in patterns of growth, life-history, and locomotion.

Ryan Ridgely	Department of Biomedical Sciences	back to top
Ryan is the an integral member of the Witmer lab where he is a research technician participating in NSF grant collaboratotions on dinosaur brain and vestibular evolution, as well as operating the µCT scanner. His major area of work is in digital morphology, which is working with CT (CAT) scans and MR imaging to produce 3D visualization models of internal anatomy in modern and extinct vertebrates.

JoAnna Sidote	Department of Biomedical Sciences	back to top
JoAnna is a research technician in the O'Connor, Stevens and Williams labs, involved in vertebrate functional morphology research projects ranging from the evolution of feeding and locomotor adaptations, to the digital preparation of newly discovered fossil specimens.

Eric Snively	Department of Mechnical Engineering	back to top
Eric is currently a Post-Doctoral researcher at Ohio University. His current research centers on feeding adaptations of carnivorous archosaurs, including raptorial birds and large theropod dinosaurs. Eric's biomechanical studies combine simulated biomechanics with field research on living and extinct theropods to understand their feeding kinematics during ontogeny and evolution of the clade.