People

Principal Investigator

Me and thylacine in shadow

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 own 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).

PhD Students

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Merin Joji

Impacts of developmental stress on Indian freshwater turtles

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

Stine Keibel Blom

Primate evolution in light of incomplete lineage sorting

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

Michael Lind Severinsen

Stochastic modeling of morphological evolution

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).

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Dominika Bujnáková

Large carnivores: perception, genetics, and adaptations

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).

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Marco Camaiti

Limb reduction in Australian skinks

Marco studies the evolution of limb reduction in Australian skinks using a combination of phylogenetics, morphology, ecophysiology and biogeography. Co-supervised by David Chapple & Alistair Evans (Monash University, Australia).

MSc & Honours students

Sarah

Sarah Saboya de Medeiros

Kangia ringed seal cranial morphology

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.

Carolina L. Paiva

Carolina Paiva

Morphological variation in skulls of Amphisbaena arda and A. vermicularis (Amphisbaenidae)

Carolina uses 3D CT combined with geometric morphometrics to compare and describe the skulls of two species of South American amphisbaenians, or worm lizards. Co-supervised by Henrique Costa (Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil).

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Clara Emilie Twile

Arctic marine mammal neuroanatomy

Clara develops workflows to extract cranial endocasts from CT scans of marine mammal skulls. We will use these 3D representations of the brain to track identify behavioural changes in response to global warming.

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Nathaniel Nguyen

Preservation of anti-predator behaviour in thylacine prey species of Tasmania

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).

Past Lab members

Rocio Aguilar

Research Assistant
Melbourne Museum

Assisted in museum specimen preparation, CT scanning, and digital data processing. A Modern Day Renaissance Woman!

Frederikke Lund Olskær

BSc project, Biology
University of Copenhagen

Using geometric morphometrics to study shape variation on the ilia of extant and extinct Australian frogs

Carl Frederik Lærkholm

BSc project, Geology
University of Copenhagen

The evolution of secondarily aquatic vertebrates

James Sun

MSc BioSciences
University of Melbourne

The interaction between equine forelimb hoof shape, exercise and environment

Axel Newton

PhD BioSciences
University of Melbourne

The genetic, molecular and developmental basis of convergent evolution in the extinct marsupial thylacine and placental wolf

Sakib Kazi

MSc BioSciences
University of Melbourne

Bones and biogeography: geometric morphometric analyses of Caribbean Island amphisbaenians (Squamata: Amphisbaenia)

Louise Szpak

BSc project, Biology
University of Copenhagen

Intracolumnar shape analysis as a tool for identifying isolated snake vertebrae

Till Ramm

PhD BioSciences
University of Melbourne/ Humboldt University Berlin

Quaternary diversity dynamics of Australian reptiles