Rachel Dunn, Ph.D.
Professor, Anatomy
Additional Roles
Professor, Master of Science in Anatomy Program
Professor, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program
Areas of Expertise
| Education: |
|---|
| Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (2009–2011) |
| Ph.D., Anthropology. Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri (2009) |
| M.A., Anthropology. Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri (2005) |
| B.A., Anthropology. University of Texas, Austin, Texas (2003) |
I am a vertebrate paleontologist specializing in the functional anatomy of the appendicular skeleton in mammals. I am broadly interested in how patterns in mammalian morphology and diversity reflect changing climates during the Eocene epoch (55–34 million years ago), a period of time in which most modern mammal groups evolve. In particular, my research focuses on two main areas:
- How locomotion is reflected in the morphology of the appendicular skeleton and how the evolution of locomotion reflects changes in climate
- How changes in taxonomic diversity (i.e. how many different types of mammals exist at a particular time period) reflect changes in local habitat and climate
As a part of my research program, I perform museum, laboratory, and field based research. I have several potential opportunities for student involvement, including building models of fossil material from microCT scans, and preparation and identification of fossil specimens. Students interested in pursuing research in my lab are encouraged to email me for more information.
Asterisks indicate student authors.
- 2022. Dunn RH, Beresheim A, Gubatina A, Bitterman K, Butaric L, *Bejes K, *Kennedy S, *Markham S, *Miller D, *Mrvoljak M, *Roge-Jones L, *Stumpner J, *Walter C, Meachen JA. Muscular anatomy of the forelimb of the tiger (Panthera tigris). Journal of Anatomy 241:119–144
- 2022. Garvin HM, Dunn R, Sholts S, Litten MS, *Mohamed MM,* Skantz N, *Kuttickat N. Forensic tools for species identification of skeletal remains: Metrics, Statistics, and OsteoID. Biology 11: 1–19.
- 2020. Dunn RH, *Avery JE. Ecomorphological variation in artiodactyl calcanei using 3D geometric morphometrics. Anatomical Record. DOI: 10.1002/ar.24544.
- 2019. Rose KD, Holbrook LT, Kumar K, Rana RS, Ahrens HE, Dunn RH, Folie A, Jones KE, Smith T. Anatomy, Relationships, and Paleobiology of Cambaytherium (Mammalia, Perissodactylamorpha, Anthracobunia) from the early Eocene of western India. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 39(s1):1–147. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2020.1761370.
- 2019. Dunn RH, Townsend, KET. New pantolestids from the Uinta Formation, Utah. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. XX:e1652622 (13 pages). DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2019.1652622.
- 2019. Yapuncich FS, Feng HJ, Dunn RH, Seiffert ER, Boyer DM. Vertical support use and primate origins. Scientific Reports. 9:12341. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48651-x.
- 2019. Dunn RH, Cooper C, Lemert J, Mironov N, Meachen JA. Locomotor correlates of the scapholunar of living and extinct carnivorans. Journal of Morphology 2019; 1–10. DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21024.
- 2018. Rose KD, Dunn RH, Kumar K, Perry JMG, *Prufrock K, Rana RS, Smith T. New fossils from Tadkeshwar Mine (Gujarat, India) increase primate diversity from the early Eocene Cambay Shale. Journal of Human Evolution. 122:93–107. DOI: 10.1016/jhevol.2018.05.006.
- 2018. Munds RA, Dunn RH, Blomquist, GE. Multivariate craniodental allometry of tarsiers. International Journal of Primatology 39:252–268. DOI: 10.1007/s10764-018-0034-x.
- 2018 Dunn RH. Postcranial Functional Morphology. To be published in: Methods in Paleoecology: Reconstructing Cenozoic Terrestrial Environments and Ecological Communities. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology Series (DA Croft, SW Simpson, and DF Su, eds.), Springer Netherlands.
- 2016 Dunn RH, Rose KD, Rana RS, Kumar K, Sahni A, Smith T. New Euprimate Postcrania from the Early Eocene of Gujarat, India and the Strepsirrhine-Haplorhine divergence. Journal of Human Evolution 99: 25–51. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.06.006.
Media Coverage for Dunn et al. (2016) - 2015 Dunn RH, Rose KD. Evolution of early Eocene Palaeosinopa (Mammalia, Pantolestidae) in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Journal of Paleontology.89: 665–694. DOI: 10.1017/jpa.2015.31.
- 2015 Meachen JA, Dunn RH, Werdelin L. Carnivoran postcranial adaptations and their relationships to climate. Ecography 38: 1–8. DOI: 10.1111/ecog.01656
- 2015 Boyer DM, Yapuncich GS, Butler JE, Dunn RH, Seiffert ER. Evolution of postural diversity in primates as reflected by the size and shape of the medial tibial facet of the talus. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 157: 134–177. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22702.
- 2014 Rose KD, Dunn RH, Grande L. A new pantolestid skeleton from the early Eocene Fossil Butte Member, Green River Formation (Wyoming), and skeletal ontogeny in Pantolestidae (Mammalia, Pantolesta). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(4): 932–940.
- 2014 Dunn RH, Tocheri MW, Orr CM, Jungers WJ. Ecological divergence and talar morphology in gorillas. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 153(4): 526–541. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.22451
- 2012 Rose KD, Chew AE, Dunn RH, Kraus MJ, Fricke HC, Zack SP. Earliest Eocene mammalian fauna from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum at Sand Creek Divide, southern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. University of Michigan Papers on Paleontology 36: 1–122.
- 2011 Rose KD, Chester SGB, Dunn RH, Boyer DM, Bloch JI. New fossils of the oldest North American euprimate Teilhardina brandti (Omomyidae) from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 146(2): 281–305.
- 2010 Dunn RH. Additional postcranial remains of omomyid primates from the Uinta Formation, Utah and implications for the locomotor behavior of large-bodied omomyids. Journal of Human Evolution 58: 406–417.
- 2009 Murphey PC, Dunn RH. Hemiacodon engardae, a new species of omomyid primate from the earliest Uintan Turtle Bluff member of the Bridger Formation, Southwestern Wyoming, USA. Journal of Human Evolution 57: 123–130.
- 2009 Dunn RH, Rasmussen DT. Skeletal morphology of a new genus of Eocene insectivore (Mammalia, Erinaceomorpha) from Utah. Journal of Mammalogy 90(2): 321–331.
- 2007 Dunn RH, Rasmussen DT. Skeletal morphology and locomotor behavior of Pseudotomus eugenei (Rodentia, Paramyinae) from the Uinta Formation, Utah. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(4):987–1006.
- 2006 Dunn RH, Sybalsky JM, Conroy GC, Rasmussen DT. Hindlimb adaptations in Ourayia and Chipetaia, relatively large-bodied omomyine primates from the Middle Eocene of Utah. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 131:303–310.
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