Research
My
research efforts center on the paleobiology of fossil cephalopods.
Of special interest to me is the question of why ammonoids evolve
and diversify so rapidly. How is ammonoid shell form created,
controlled, and constrained? How can these constraints be
released to permit macroevolutionary change? What role does
morphological variability, and more specifically developmental
plasticity, play in boosting ammonoids' diversification rates?
What role do external environmental factors play? How do
you "make" an ammonoid species? An ammonoid genus?In pursuit of these questions, I study ammonoid morphology, phylogenetics, and diversity dynamics. I consider myself a quantitative paleobiologist, and one goal of my research is to bridge the gap between analytical and systematic paleontology by showing how quantitative techniques can be applied and used in straightforward ways to answer broadly meaningful questions.
I am also working to expand the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in paleobiology, both in the development of paleobiogeographic databases and in more novel applications of GIS as a tool for studying complex anatomies.