"A general theory of evolution would be rooted in a hierarchical view of nature, and will possess a common body of causes and constraints, but will recognize that they work in characteristically different ways in the material of different levels. . . The new theory will restore to biology a concept of organism." - Stephen Jay Gould (1980).

Current Research

Some of my research has been ongoing for several years (turtles) and other is relatively new (mammals). Feel free to contact me regarding questions or collaborations.

Mammal-Based

Evolution and developmental constraints on morphological structure in rodents.

Shifts in the biogeographic distribution and population genetic structure in the past and present of microtine rodents in western North America.

Biochronology and biostratigraphy of Microtine rodents.

Mammalian tongue evolution.

Turtle-Based

Evolutionary morphology and phylogenetic systematics of fossil and extant testudinoid turtles.

Biogeographic distributions and ecological limitations of extant turtles.

Nascent Research

Early Stage

Evolutionary morphogenetic models and predicting morphospace occupation and evolutionary trajectories in tetrapod vertebrates.

Understanding the mechanisms and patterning of odontogenesis in non-mammalian vertebrates

Collaborators

With a little help from my friends...

Research in natural history is a fundamentally collaborative world. I engage regularly with collaborators and most of my research questions involve collaboration. Find below a list of my collaborators and what projects they are contributing to.