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 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
Merin Joji
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
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
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).
Dominika Bujnáková
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).
Marco Camaiti
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 Saboya de Medeiros
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 Paiva
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).
Clara Emilie Twile
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.
Nathaniel Nguyen
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
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