We are interdisciplinary biologists interested in broad-scale biodiversity patterns and the processes that generate them. Our research addresses how phylogenetic patterns of ecomorphological and lineage diversity are influenced by the biology of the organism and its physical environment. The aim is to identify repeating themes and general principles governing the evolution of vertebrate biodiversity. We are a collaborative lab driven by scientific curiosity and backed by robust data and phylogenetic comparative methods. Together we work to foster an inclusive and supportive environment through open communication, mentorship and service.
We work at the macro-scale, investigating global patterns over long periods of time across large clades, and to do so we apply data science techniques, tapping the reserves of scientific data in museum collections, published literature, as well as online databases. Central to our research is the generation and analysis of ecomorphological databases, consisting of morphometric measurements and geometric morphometric descriptions of shape taken from museum specimens, enabling us to integrate fossil and living diversity when applicable. We specialize in the implementation of modern phylogenetic comparative methods in a high performance computing framework. See Research and Personal pages for more details! |