People
Principal Investigator
Christy Anna Hipsley
Associate Professor
Section for Ecology & Evolution, Department of Biology
University of Copenhagen
I combine state-of-the-art bioimaging with molecular phylogenetics to reconstruct evolutionary transformations in vertebrate history. I am also active in science communication, using examples from my work to illustrate biological processes such as reproduction and morphogenesis. In addition to leading the Evolutionary Morphology group at University of Copenhagen, I am co-PI on the Villum Synergy funded project Stochastic Morphometry, for which we founded the Center for Computational Evolutionary Morphometry.
My first love was lizards, but I work on pretty much anything with bones (and sometimes without).
Current lab members
Sarah du Plessis
DFF-funded Postdoc
Sarah compares genomes from ancient and modern wolves to dogs with their skull morphology to identify genomic signatures of domestication. Recently completed PhD at Cardiff University on conservation genomics of otters, including an EMBO exchange at KU.
Merin Joji
PhD student
Merin is an integrated MSc/PhD student studying 3D asymmetry of Indian freshwater turtle shells caused by pollution and invasive species, in hopes of developing a new conservation monitoring tool.
Stine Keibel Blom
PhD student
Stine combines genetics and morphology to search for signatures of incomplete lineage sorting in the phenotypes of great apes. Co-supervised by Guojie Zhang (Zhejiang University, China).
Michael Lind Severinsen
PhD student
Michael applies statistical models to test evolutionary hypotheses on biological forms ranging from butterfly wing symmetry to dog domestication. Co-supervised by Rasmus Nielsen (Globe Institute/University of California, Berkeley).
Dominika Bujnáková
PhD student
Domi explores wolverine genetics and wolf morphology, using her research to raise awareness of the importance of these controversial, yet ecologically important carnivores. Co-supervised by Laura Kvist & Jouni Aspi (University of Oulu, Finland).
Christoffer Toft Hviid Jensen
MSc student
Christoffer studies how reestablishment of the gray wolf impacts ecological stability of European ecosystems, with comparisons to wolf restoration projects in North America.
Carolina Paiva
PhD student
Carolina uses 3D CT combined with geometric morphometrics and molecular phylogenetics to investigate evolutionary patterns of skull shape in living amphisbaenians (worm lizards), and describe their Pleistocene fossil record in Brazil. Co-supervised by Henrique Costa (Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil).
Nathaniel Nguyen
MSc student
Nat is a keen environmentalist and aspiring conservationist, using camera traps to determine if prey species like wallabies react to models of the extinct thylacine on Tasmania. Co-supervised by Prof Andrew Pask (University of Melbourne).
Sarah Saboya de Medeiros
BSc student
Sarah studies recent and subfossil bones of marine mammals using techniques in zooarchaeology, geometric morphometrics, and population genetics to inform conservation efforts of these fascinating animals.
Anne Hjortlund Hansen
BSc student
Anne studies the extinct flightless dodo bird from Mauritius using microCT scans. By comparing skull morphology of the Danish specimen to the only other complete skull from Oxford, she aims to link beak morphology to foraging ecology in this enigmatic species.
Mohammed Khumri
MSc student
Mohammed uses cranial endocasts, or digital 3D brain models, from museum specimens to identify the impacts of melting ice on Arctic marine mammal cognition.
Past Lab members
Clara Emilie Twile
University of Copenhagen
Comparison of brain models and neuroanatomy in marine mammal species based on cranial endocasts
Marco Camaiti
Evolutionary patterns, morphology and ecology of limb reduction in skinks
Rocio Aguilar
Melbourne Museum
Assisted in museum specimen preparation, CT scanning, and digital data processing. A Modern Day Renaissance Woman!
Frederikke Lund Olskær
University of Copenhagen
Using geometric morphometrics to study shape variation on the ilia of extant and extinct Australian frogs
Carl Frederik Lærkholm
University of Copenhagen
The evolution of secondarily aquatic vertebrates
James Sun
University of Melbourne
The interaction between equine forelimb hoof shape, exercise and environment
Axel Newton
University of Melbourne
The genetic, molecular and developmental basis of convergent evolution in the extinct marsupial thylacine and placental wolf
Sakib Kazi
University of Melbourne
Bones and biogeography: geometric morphometric analyses of Caribbean Island amphisbaenians (Squamata: Amphisbaenia)
Louise Szpak
University of Copenhagen
Intracolumnar shape analysis as a tool for identifying isolated snake vertebrae
Till Ramm
University of Melbourne/ Humboldt University Berlin
Quaternary diversity dynamics of Australian reptiles