PhD in Vertebrate Paleontology in Chicago United States | University of Chicago

Our goal is to analyze historical and contemporary trends in vertebrate biodiversity, examining the drivers behind vertebrate evolution while addressing inquiries about extinction events, anatomical transformations, functional adaptations, developmental shifts, biogeographic distributions, and ecological dynamics. Fossil vertebrate records play a pivotal role in this investigation, with key data sourced from active field expeditions and creative utilization of established collections. As an inherently multidisciplinary field, paleontology integrates not only with geosciences but also leverages advanced methodologies from molecular systematics, developmental biology, biomechanics, biogeography, and ecological theory.
Active research focuses
Emergence of principal vertebrate lineages: tracing evolutionary divergences that shaped today's vertebrate life, while studying anatomical, functional, and ecological transitions.
Genesis of morphological innovations: bridging paleontological evidence with developmental biology insights.
Evolutionary relationships and geographic spread of major dinosaur groups: Ornithischia, Sauropodomorpha, and Theropoda
Human evolutionary studies and paleoanthropological research