People

Lab Members

Eric Lund M.Sc.
Lab Coordinator (2011-present)
Department of Biomedical Sciences

Eric is interested in the paleobiology and functional morphology of ceratopsians (horned dinosaurs), as well as taphonomy, particularly the preservation of soft-tissues in the fossil record. He received his Masters thesis from the University of Utah in 2010. He has had the opportunity to conduct paleontological field work in Utah, Wyoming, and around the world including Mexico and Tanzania.

Publications:
Lund, E. K., and Gates, T. A. 2006. A historical and biogeographical examination of hadrosaurian dinosaurs. In Lucas, S. G., and Sullivan, R. M., (eds.), Late Cretaceous vertebrates from the Western Interior. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 35:263-276

Lund, E. K., M. A. Loewen, S. D. Sampson, M A. Getty, A. Aguillon Martinez, R. A. Rodriguez de la Rosa, and D. A. Eberth. 2007. Ceratopsian remains from the Late Cretaceous Cerro del Pueblo Formation, Coahuila, Mexico. In D. R. Braman (ed.), Ceratopsian Symposium: Short Papers, Abstracts, and Programs, pp. 108-113, Drumheller: Royal Tyrrell Museum.

Lund, E. K. 2009. Working with nonmineralized vertebrate soft-tissues: the delicate side of fossil preparation. The Annual Fossil Preparation and collections Symposium 15:83

Kerin M. Claeson, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher April 2010-June 2012
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies

Kerin’s research combines the disciplines of paleontology, comparative anatomy, and development to formulate and test phylogenetic hypotheses of interrelationships of several groups of fishes, and occasionally other vertebrates. She makes extensive use of world wide museum collections but has also had the opportunity to conduct field work in Argentina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wyoming. She received her PhD in Geological Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010 and her Masters in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2005. She will start a position as an Assistant Professor of Anatomy at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in July 2012.

Selected recent publications
Claeson, K. M., J. T. Eastman, and R. MacPhee. In press. Definitive specimens of Merlucciidae (Gadiformes) from the Eocene of Isla Marambio (Seymour Island), Antarctic Peninsula. Antarctic Science.

Aschliman, N.C., Claeson, K. M., and J. D. McEachran. 2012. Phylogeny of Batoidea. In: Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives 2nd Edition, J. C. Carrier, J. A. Musick, and M. R. Heithaus (eds.), CRC Press. pp. 57-96.

Claeson, K. M. 2011. The synarcual cartilage of batoids with emphasis on the synarcual of Rajidae. Journal of Morphology. 272: 1444-1463.

Witzmann, F., Claeson, K. M., O. Hampe, M. Niederhagen, and P. Abasch. 2011. Indirect evidence of viral existence in the fossil record: Paget disease in a Jurassic Dinosaur. Current Biology 21:R647-R648.

Terry A. Gates, PhD (aka Bucky)
Postdoctoral Researcher January 2012-December 2012 Department of Biomedical Sciences Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Bucky’s research focuses on the paleoecology of Late Cretaceous vertebrates in North America. More specifically, he combines taphonomic analyses of fossil localities in an attempt to more accurately reconstitute vertebrate biodiversity. Ultimately, Bucky utilizes diversity data from across the North American continent to observe spatial variation in biogeographic patterns of all vertebrate taxonomic groups. He also specializes in the anatomy and evolution of hadrosaurid dinosaurs. Even though the majority of Bucky’s field work is centered in the Cretaceous sediments of Utah, his research has taken him to fossil deposits in northern Mexico and studying the ecosystems of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Both his PhD and MSc were obtained from the University of Utah, Department of Geology and Geophysics. He has also held positions at Lake Forest College and the Field Museum in Chicago.

Selected Publications
Gates, T.A., Prieto-Marquez, A., and Zanno, L.E. accepted. Mountain building triggered North American megaherbivore dinosaur cladogenesis. PlosOne.

Gates, T.A., Lund, E.K., Boyd, C.A., Getty, M.A., DeBlieux, D.D., Kirkland, J.I., and Evans, D.C. in press. The role of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in macroevolutionary and paleobiogeographic studies of ornithopod dinosaurs. In: Titus, A.L. and Loewen, M.A. (Eds.), Advances in Late Cretaceous Western Interior Basin Paleontology and Geology. Indiana University Press.

Gates, T.A., Sampson, S.D., Zanno, L.E., Roberts, E.M., Eaton, J.G., Nydam, R.L., Hutchison, J.H., Smith, J.A., Loewen, M.A., and Getty, M.A. 2010. Biogeography of terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) Western Interior of North America: new information from the Kaiparowits Formation, south-central Utah. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol 291, p. 371-387.

Waymon Holloway (left) explaining aspects of digital preparation to lab visitor Ross MacPhee.

Waymon Lewis Holloway, M.S.
Paleontology Lab Technician
Department of Biomedical Sciences

Waymon is interested in the neuromorphology and sensory system evolution of archosaurs, particularly Triassic crurotarsans. He received his Masters degree from Marshall University in 2011. His past research has included invertebrate and microfloral surveys and a digital phytosaur endocast reconstruction. He is currently performing digital preparation and reconstruction of Cretaceous birds and crocodyliforms and both fossil and extant chondricthyans. He has conducted fieldwork in the Devonian shales of Ohio and Cretaceous shales of southern Utah.

Abstract:
Holloway, W. & F.R. O’Keefe. 2011. A virtual phytosaur endocast and its implications for sensory system evolution in archosaurs [abstract]. In: Program and Abstracts of the 71st Anniversary Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology; 2011 Nov 2-5; Las Vegas, NV, USA; SVP. p. 127.

Ryan Felice
Current PhD Student
Graduate Program in Biological Sciences (2009 - present)
Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies

Ryan is interested in the paleobiology, evolution, and functional morphology of birds and their ancestors. He is currently investigating the evolution of the avian locomotor apparatus and the diversification of birds. His past research has included field work in Wyoming, Utah and Tanzania and a study of synapsid locomotion.

Paper:
Felice, R. N., and K. Angielczyk. in press. Was Ophiacodon (Synapsida, Eupelycosauria) a Swimmer? A Test Using Vertebral Dimensions; in C. Kammerer, K. Angielczyk, and J. Fröbisch (eds.), The Early Evolutionary History of Synapsid. Springer.

Abstract:
Felice, R.N. and P.M. O'Connor. Crocodyliform Aquatic Locomotion and Axial Flexiblity: Comparative Vertebral Anatomy of Mesoeucrocodylians. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, SVP Program and Abstracts Book, 2011.

Eric Gorscak
Current PhD Student
Graduate Program in Biological Sciences (2010 - present)
Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies

Eric is interested in Cretaceous paleobiogeography of Gondwanan vertebrates. He has conducted two seasons of field research in Utah with the UGS crew headed up by Don De Blieux, one field season in the James Ross Basin (Antarctic Peninsula) as well as field research in Tanzania.

Abstract:
Gorscak, E., P. M. O’Connor, N. J. Stevens, and E. M. Roberts. A basal titanosaurian from the Middle Cretaceous Galula Formation, Rukwa Rift Basin, southwestern Tanzania. J Vert Paleont

Nirina (Liva) Ratsimbaholison
University of Antananarivo
Current ‘Doctorate au DPAB’ Université d’Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Liva is pursuing graduate studies examining ontogenetic trends in cranio-mandibular morphology in Abelisauridae. He has conducted field research along with the MBP field teams since 2005.

DEA [Masters Degree] in Paleontology, Université d’Antananarivo, Madagascar. Project Title: Ontogenie Craniofaciale de Majungasaurus crenatissimus (Theropode: Abelisauridae) du Cretace Superieur de Berivotra-Mahajanga. Thesis Defended: April, 2008.

Project Title: Ontogenetic variability of cranio-mandidular system in Majungasaurus crenatissimus.

Erin L. (Rasmusson) Simons (2004 - 2009)
Ph.D. Department of Biological Sciences
Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies

Project Title: Evolution of the avian wing skeleton: Integrating whole bone morphology, cross-sectional geometry, histology, and mechanical testing for evaluating the relationship between form and function in the forelimb of birds.

Current Position: Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Midwestern University (Glendale, AZ).

Papers:
Simons, E. L. R. and P. M. O’Connor. Bone laminarity in the avian forelimb skeleton and its relationship to flight mode: Testing Functional Interpretations. Anatomical Record 295:386-396 (2012).

Simons, E. L. R., T. L. Hieronymus, and P. M. O’Connor. Cross sectional geometry of the forelimb skeleton and flight mode in pelecaniform birds. J Morphology 272(8):958-971 (2011).

Sarah Gutzwiller
Honors Tutorial College Senior Thesis
Department of Biological Sciences

Thesis Title: Postcranial skeletal pneumaticity, bone structure, and foraging style in two clades of neognath birds.

Current Position: Ph.D. student in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University. Current advisor: John Hunter, Ph.D.

Paper:
S. Gutzwiller, A. Su, and P. M. O’Connor. Postcranial pneumaticity and bone structure in two clades of neognath birds. Anatomical Record— In Review