People
Principal Investigator
Zhe-Xi Luo
Professor
Dr. Zhe-Xi Luo (“Luo”) and his team focus on the evolutionary biology of early mammals. The mission of his research is to decipher the origins of mammalian biological adaptations, evolutionary relationship of major lineages, ecological diversification, and developmental patterns, and to trace these evolutionary features through Mesozoic mammal fossils. Of particular interest is the evolution of the mammalian skull and post-cranial skeleton, for inference of their functional and developmental ramifications. (Luo’s CV)
Staff
April Neander
Research Specialist
April Neander is a research specialist for the Luo Lab and PaleoCT Lab. Her work and responsibilities include scientific illustration and visualization, micro-CT operations, and lab management. April has been working in the Luo Lab since 2012.
Students
Henry Fulghum
Graduate Student
(Committee On Evolutionary Biology since 2023)
Henry is a graduate student interested in early mammal evolution and vertebrate paleontology. For his dissertation, he is investigating the evolution of complex molar function in early mammals and mammaliaforms. Specifically, Henry uses geometric morphometrics and machine learning to understand and compare the iterative acquisition of “dual-function” chewing among docodonta and tribosphenida as a key component of their respective diversifications. As a component of this work, Henry is actively involved in fieldwork in the Fruita Paleontological Area, UT (in collaboration with Brian Davis, U. Louisville) and the Big Horn Basin, WY (in collaboration with Luke Weaver, U. Michigan).
Jointly advised by Ken Angielczyk.
Alec Wilken
Graduate Student
(Integrative Biology since 2020)
Alec Wilken is a graduate student interested in vertebrate biomechanics and evolution. For his dissertation, Alec is investigating the evolution of the mammal jaw and the mammalian middle ear. Alec employs DiceCT, linear morphometrics, muscle modeling, and finite element analysis to understand key innovations in vertebrate evolution. Alec has previously conducted research studying the evolution of kinetic, mobile skulls in lizards, birds, and non-avian dinosaurs and the burrowing adaptations of North American shrews.
Jointly in the Ross Lab and Luo Lab.
Isaac Magallanes
Graduate Student
(Committee On Evolutionary Biology since 2019)
Isaac Magallanes is a graduate student in Evolutionary Biology. He received his bachelor’s science degree at California State University, Fullerton, and his master’s degree at the University of Florida in the Geological Sciences. Isaac is interested in studying the evolutionary patterns of mammalian tooth morphology. In particular, he focuses on potential shifts in the functional relationship between the tooth-crown and root structures across key evolutionary transitions, like the advent of the tribosphenic molars in therian mammals. Isaac uses geometric morphometrics and 3D visualization of CT scans of jaws and teeth to compare morphological variation and functional diversity between modern therian taxa and their non-therian predecessors.
Past Students and Postdoctoral Associates
Julia Schultz
Past Postdoctoral Associate
Julia’s research interests focus on early mammalian evolution with emphasis on functional morphology of dentition and reconstruction of mastication patterns. She also works on the evolution of the mammalian middle and inner ear morphology using micro-computed tomography, 3D-reconstruction and virtual simulation.
After postdoctoral research in UChicago, Dr. Julia Schultz joined the staff of Universität Bonn Institute of Geosciences.
Bhart-Anjan Bhullar
Past Postdoctoral Associate
Research on evolution of cynodonts, mammaliaform and mammals, with focus on skull morphogenesis.
After postdoctoral research in UChicago, Dr. Bhullar joined the faculty of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.
Peishu Li
PhD, Integrative Biology, University of Chicago, 2024
Peishu is a past PhD student in the Luo lab. He is broadly interested in the functional basis underlying major macroevolutionary transitions. For his dissertation research, Peishu focuses on the evolution and biomechanics of the hyoid apparatus and surrounding musculature in mammals. His research utilizes linear morphometrics, diceCT and the XROMM workflow to study the morphological disparity of hyoids in primates and other mammals, and how such disparity may be related to variation in 3D hyoid kinematics and bolus propulsion mechanisms during swallowing. Before joining the Luo lab, Peishu conducted research on the dental topography of extinct South American stem platyrrhines, the skeletal anatomy of newborn ursids, and the igneous petrology of Hawaiian basalts.
After graduating from UChicago, Dr. Li got a position as a Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Ohio University.
Robert Burroughs
Ph.D. 2021 Committee On Evolutionary Biology (CEB)
Robert is interested in understanding various mechanisms by which macroevolution occurs. His research utilizes geometric morphometrics, molecular-based phylogeography, and experimental developmental biology to understand the mechanisms behind the evolution of rodent molars in the Cenozoic. In particular he works with muroid rodents. Robert also has an interest in functional morphology, biogeography, and phylogeny of testudinoid turtles.
After Ph.D. from UChicago, Dr. Burroughs was a postdoctoral fellow at Seattle Children’s Research Institute.
Jacqueline Lungmus
Ph.D. 2020 Integrative Biology (OBA)
Jackie Lungmus works on the macroevolutionary patterns of Permian synapsids, focusing primarily on the morphological disparity and functional diversity of their pectoral girdles.
After Ph.D. from UChicago, Dr. Lungmus was a postdoctoral fellow at National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution). Since 2022, Dr. Lungmus is now on faculty of Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and University of Oklahoma.
David Grossnickle
Ph.D. 2018 Committee On Evolutionary Biology (CEB)
David is interested in early mammal evolution and vertebrate paleontology. Hi research employs comparative techniques such as morphometrics to examine macroevolutionary patterns and diets of Mesozoic mammals. He is particularly interested in teeth and jaws, as these fossils are especially abundant and ecologically informative.
After Ph.D. from UChicago, Dr. Grossnickle was an NSF postdoctoral fellow in University of Washington (Seattle). Dr. Grossnickle is on faculty of Oregon Institute of Technology.
William Currey
Past Undergraduate Student
Class of 2022
Andrew Traynor
Past Undergraduate Student
Class of 2021
Spencer K. Pevsner
Past Undergraduate Student
Class of 2019
James Wauer
Past Undergraduate Student
Class of 2017
Mark Juhn
Past Undergraduate Student
Class of 2016
Ben Sulser
Past Undergraduate Student
Class of 2016
Lawrence Wang
Past Undergraduate Student
Class of 2015
Samuel "Spiro" Sullivan
Past Undergraduate Student
Class of 2015
Dawn Mitchell
Past Undergraduate Student
Class of 2014