Paleontologist Rachel Dunn, Ph.D., shared her research in animal anatomy at the October 11 Friday Research Seminar Series. A new faculty member and researcher at Des Moines University, Dunn’s presentation, “Ankles and Adaptation: From Gorillas to Gazelles,” discussed evolutionary biology in mammals. The presentation can be viewed at www.screencast.com/t/1vGJsEGTtp15.
Dunn is an assistant professor in anatomy and her research focuses on understanding the diversity of past life. She has a Ph.D. in biological anthropology from Washington University and collected fossilized mammals in Utah, Wyoming and Egypt as part of her Ph.D. training. Her recent research is centered around how the skeleton reflects the interaction between an animal and its habitat. Dunn is particularly interested in using 3D polygonal models of ankle and wrist bones to answer questions about the ecology of mammals.
