Sauropod DinosaursI study the anatomy, evolution, and paleobiology of Titanosauria, a globally-distributed group of sauropod dinosaurs.
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Bone HistologyI employ bone histological data to interpret growth patterns in dinosaurs and other vertebrates.
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Vertebrate Microfossil BonebedsI conduct field work in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in central Montana to investigate ancient ecosystems.
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Ever since the first discoveries of long-necked sauropod dinosaurs, they've awed, inspired, and confused us. For most of history sauropods were considered exemplars of extinction - too-big-for-their-own-good, small-brained, lumbering herbivores. Along with my colleagues from countries all over the world, my research has helped to dispel these myths. New discoveries and new kinds of data have repainted a picture of sauropods as dramatic dinosaurs that thrived throughout the entire Mesozoic Era. The secrets to their success lay in their remarkable paleobiology. After hatching from eggs no bigger than grapefruits, they grew as fast as living mammals, ate an entirely vegetarian diet, but were able to attain adult size when they were, at most, a few decades old. My current sauropod research is focused upon deciphering the anatomy, evolution, and paleobiology of two Late Cretaceous sauropod species from the Maevarano Formation of Madagascar: Rapetosaurus krausei and Vahiny depereti.
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