Palaeontology · Functional morphology · Biomechanics · Sabertooth carnivorans
Narimane CHATAR (PhD)
I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Functional Anatomy and Vertebrate Evolution (FAVE) Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, where I study the functional morphological evolution of cat-like carnivorans.
My research focuses on the evolution, functional morphology, and palaeobiology of carnivorans, with a particular interest in fossil felids and other cat-like predators. I investigate how cranial and mandibular morphology evolved in relation to feeding function, biomechanics, and ecological specialization, using the fossil record to explore the origin and diversification of predatory adaptations.
One of the central themes of my research is the repeated evolution of sabre-toothed morphologies and on patterns of functional and morphological convergence among extinct and extant carnivorous mammals. I am particularly interested in understanding how highly specialized feeding systems evolved and how these adaptations influenced the ecological diversity of past predators. To address these questions, I combine 3D geometric morphometrics, biomechanical modelling, and finite-element approaches.
Latest publications
Paleoneurology · Ecomorphology · Brain evolution · Veterinary sciences
Margot MICHAUD (PhD)
I am an Associate Professor at the UniLaSalle School of Veterinary Medicine in France, where my work combines comparative anatomy, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and veterinary sciences.
My research focuses on the evolution and functional morphology of the mammalian brain, with a particular interest in carnivorans. I investigate how brain morphology and organization have evolved in relation to ecology, behaviour, sensory adaptations, and cranial morphology, and how these relationships have contributed to the diversification of different carnivoran lineages.
A major part of my work relies on the study of endocasts and cranial morphology in both living and fossil species. I combine micro-CT imaging, 3D geometric morphometrics, comparative anatomy, and phylogenetic comparative methods to quantify brain shape and proportions and to investigate patterns of morphological integration, evolutionary scaling, and ecological adaptation. Working at the interface of veterinary sciences, palaeontology, and evolutionary biology, my research aims to better understand the factors shaping brain diversity and neuroanatomical evolution through time.
Latest publications
Ecomorphology · Macroevolution · Morphological convergence · Cranial evolution
Davide TAMAGNINI (PhD)
I am currently a researcher at the Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin” at Sapienza University of Rome, where I study morphological evolution and ecomorphological diversification in mammals, with a particular focus on carnivorans.
My research focuses on macroevolutionary patterns and ecomorphology, with a particular interest in the evolution of the cranio-mandibular complex of carnivorans. I investigate how changes in skull and mandible shape are associated with ecology, diet, body size, and evolutionary history, and how these factors generate or constrain morphological diversity across lineages. A central aspect of my work is the study of evolutionary convergence, especially the extent to which species occupying similar ecological niches independently evolve similar morphologies.
I combine geometric morphometrics, phylogenetic comparative methods, and quantitative evolutionary approaches to study both living and fossil taxa. More broadly, I am interested in identifying directional patterns of phenotypic evolution and understanding how ecological shifts and functional demands shape morphological diversification through time.
Latest publications
Dental morphology · Functional morphology · Biomechanics · Feeding ecology
Melvin VANKELST (PhD student)
I am currently a FRIA-FNRS PhD researcher at the Evolution and Diversity Dynamics Lab (EDDyLab), University of Liège, and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, where I study the functional and evolutionary morphology of mammalian dentition.
My research focuses on the evolution and functional morphology of mammalian teeth and jaws, with a particular interest in the relationship between dental shape, diet, and mechanical performance. I investigate how feeding adaptations have shaped dental diversity and how functional constraints can both promote and limit the evolution of new morphologies.
A key component of my research examines carnassial teeth and lower jaw morphology, in both living and fossil taxa. I combine 3D geometric morphometrics, dental topography, comparative approaches, and experimental biomechanics to quantify morphology and evaluate its functional and ecological significance. My PhD research further explores the evolutionary history of carnivorous mammals by examining functional similarities and differences between carnivoramorphans and extinct “creodonts”, with the broader aim of understanding how feeding performance may have influenced their diversification and ecological interactions through time.
