I am interested in phenotypic integration, or covariation between traits due to shared genetic, developmental, and functional interactions between them. These shared genetic and developmental mechanisms, as well as shared functions, result in parallel or coordinated responses to forces such as selection, nutrition, or mechanical stress, both at evolutionary and developmental scales.
To explore these questions, I use a variety of 2D and 3D methods, including geometric morphometrics.
Evolution of the head and neck: My dissertation focused on evolution of craniofacial and cervical structures in relation to locomotion and posture. This project was funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation and internal funding from NYU.
Ontogeny of phenotypic integration: Currently, I am investigating ontogenetic integration in the rhesus macaque skull, in order to understand how adult patterns of covariation emerge. Preliminary results suggest a shift in modularity patterns between 2 and 4 years of age, with integration following an embryological pattern early on, and shifting towards a more functional pattern at later ages.
Trajectories of morphological change: I am developing a project to look at temporal changes in rhesus macaque skull morphology within Cayo Santiago, in collaboration with Audrey Choi at Arizona State University. The goal of this project is to compare trajectories of morphological change within Cayo Santiago to those found at the subspecific and specific level within Macaca mulatta and across macaques broadly.
Integration in the vertebral column: In addition, I am interested in the evolution of the vertebral column in primates. In 2022 I received funding from the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust to assess heritability and genotypic covariation in the macaque vertebral column. Most recently, we have turned to secular changes in vertebral column anatomy and to understanding sexual dimorphism in this structure. This work has been largely in collaboration with Emily R. Middleton at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and we are developing further projects involving both the vertebral column and the pelvis.
