My research interests are in vertebrate ecological and functional morphology, especially the evolution of locomotor novelty. I combine the traditional tools of functional morphology (e.g., high-speed video, force plates, and electromyography) with techniques from behavioral, ecological, and physiological research to quantify the locomotor form-function complex. These suites of characters are then examined in light of the comparative method to test a priori phylogenetic hypotheses regarding the evolution of locomotor novelty. In addition, I use biomechanics as a tool for formulating and testing causal links across multiple levels of analysis. I am currently studying leaping, parachuting and gliding locomotion in squirrels and caudopelvic and forelimb function in frogs. I teach courses in Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Ornithology, and Wildlife Management.
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