RESEARCH TEAM

CURRENT LAB MEMBERS

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager Associate Professor in Palaeobiology, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS

Dr. Jordan Bestwick (2020- ) – (Leverhulme Postdoctoral Fellow) Resolving the dietary ecology and evolution of the earliest dinosaurs – Lead supervisor: Prof. Richard Butler (University of Birmingham), co-supervisors: Dr Stephan Lautenschlager, Dr Laura Porro (University College London), Prof. Paul Barrett (Natural History Museum London).

Dr. Richard Dearden (2021- ) – (Leverhulme Postdoctoral Fellow) Feeding without jaws – innovations in early vertebrates – Lead supervisor: Dr Ivan Sansom (University of Birmingham), co-supervisors: Dr Stephan Lautenschlager, Dr Sam Giles (University of Birmingham), Dr Zerina Johanson (Natural History Museum London).

Dr. Agnese Lanzetti (2022- ) – (Leverhulme Postdoctoral Fellow) Feeding without jaws – innovations in early vertebrates – Lead supervisor: Dr Ivan Sansom (University of Birmingham), co-supervisors: Dr Stephan Lautenschlager, Dr Sam Giles (University of Birmingham), Dr Zerina Johanson (Natural History Museum London).

PHD RESEARCHERS

Charlotte Bird (2019- ) – (NERC CENTA DTP PhD) Brain evolution in pre-mammalian cynodonts and the role of intraspecific variation – Lead supervisor: Dr Stephan Lautenschlager (University of Birmingham), co-supervisors: Prof. Richard Butler (University of Birmingham), Prof. Paul Barrett (Natural History Museum London).

Emma Hanson (2018- ) – (NERC Oil & Gas CDT PhD) Automated Image Analysis for Rapid Biostratigraphic Data Collection – Lead supervisor: Dr Tom Dunkley-Jones (University of Birmingham), co-supervisors: Dr Stephan Lautenschlager (University of Birmingham).

Romy Rayner (2018- ) – (PhD) Patterns of vertebrate diversity and disparity across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary – Lead supervisor: Prof. Richard Butler (University of Birmingham), co-supervisors: Dr Stephan Lautenschlager (University of Birmingham).

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS

Hattie Church-Russell (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2023) – Using jaw morphology. Were mammals and feathered dinosaurs  occupying the same ecological niches during the Mesozoic?

Thomas Clarke-Williams (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2023) – Biomechanics and functional morphology of theropod dinosaurs in relation to ecology.

LAB ALUMNAE/ALUMNI

Fion Wai Sum Ma (2018-2022) – (PhD) Functional morphology of Oviraptorosauria and the evolution of dietary diversity in theropods.

Luke Meade (2018-2022) – (NERC CENTA DTP PhD) Functional morphology of Oviraptorosauria and the evolution of dietary diversity in theropods.

Susana Gutarra  (2016-2019) – (NERC GW4 DTP PhD) Evolutionary innovations and convergence in Mesozoic marine reptiles: locomotory adaptations to ocean ecosystems.

Molly Fawcett (2021-2022) – (MRes) A digital reconstruction of the Triassic apex predator Saurosuchus galilei (Pseudosuchia: Loricata).

Chak Dino Chu (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2022) – Testing the functional convergence between beaked theropod dinosaurs.
Joshua Gunn (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2022) – Form and function of early archosaur mandibles at the Triassic/Jurassic boundary.
Joseph Healy (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2022) – Orbit proportions across three key taxonomic clades in the Triassic and Jurassic periods: Potential implications on the behaviour and diet.
Yiu Lau (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2022) – Functional morphology lower jaws of filter-feeding pterosaurs.
Athena McGuile (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2022) – Quantifying morphological diversity and function evolution within sabretooth vertebrates and determining their functional capabilities for feeding behaviour.
Caitlin Shelbourne (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2022) – Investigating the morphological diversity of the canine teeth of sabretooth feliforms and their extant relatives and its potential use as a diagnostic tool.
Oliver Woolcott (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2022) – 3D reconstruction and cranial anatomy of the Triassic cynodont Diademodon tetragonus.
Ben Campbell (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2021) – Using 2D Finite Element Analysis in determining interspecific competition in herbivorous dinosaurs.
Josh Dixon (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2021) – Testing and validating the accuracy of bite force analyses in fossil vertebrates.
Adam Manning (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2021) – A novel quantitative method to landmark complex fossils.
Emily Ball (MSci project student, University of Birmingham, 2020) – What is the driving force behind differences in turtle jaw morphology?
Richard Bilbee (MSci project student, University of Birmingham, 2020) – Cranial ontogenetic development of Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki (Ornthischia, Iguanodontia) – Digital restoration of a juvenile skull.
Thomas Henton (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2020) – Investigating the behaviour of extinct sabretooth carnivores by reconstructing their endocrania.
Sebastian Newell (BSc project student, University of Birmingham, 2020) – The competitive replacement of herbivorous dinosaur communities.
Charlotte Bird (MSci project student, University of Birmingham, 2018) – Brain morphology and variation in the Triassic cynodont Thrinaxodon
Emily Brown (MSci project student, University of Birmingham, 2018) – Endocranial anatomy and life habits of the Early Triassic archosauriform Proterosuchus fergusi.
Luke Meade (MSci project student, University of Birmingham, 2018) – The endocranial anatomy of a dicynodont from Zambia.
Adam Taylor (Msc project student, University of Bristol, 2015) – Testing for convergent cranial function and beak usage between psittacosaurs and psittaciform birds.
Alison Brimacombe (Msc project student, University of Bristol, 2015) – Functional morphological trends in ichthyosaurs
James O’Shea (Undergraduate summer student, University of Bristol, 2015) – Testing functional hypotheses in Cambrian cinctan echinoderms using computational fluid dynamics.