@csmithbioanth

Asst Prof @ Fairfield University | Paleoanthropologist & Evolutionary Anatomist👂 🧠 💀

 Fairfield, CT
csmithevoanatomy.com/
Joined January 2011
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Out today in @PNASNexus! We present evidence for a new way to characterize the vestibular organs, challenging traditional assumptions about how the human inner ear is organized. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/a…

Evolutionary modularity of the primate vestibular system: Morphological distinction of otolithic...

Abstract. The mammalian inner ear is traditionally divided into two systems: the peripheral vestibular system (for balance) and the cochlea (for hearing).

academic.oup.com
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Ashley Hammond@ashleyshammondOct 9
For those of you who enjoy fossil monkeys, a write-up of our recent work on new species from Lemudong'o: icp.cat/index.php/ca/sala-de… And in English: icp.cat/index.php/en/sala-de…

Descobreixen dos nous gèneres de primats de fa 6 milions d’anys en un jaciment fòssil de Kenya

Investigadors de l'Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA), l'American Museum of Natural History i la Universitat de Yale han descrit 79 nous exemplars fòssils de mico...

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Steve Brusatte@SteveBrusatteSep 30
🚨Postdoc job alert: Come work with my paleontology & evolution group @GeosciencesEd in Edinburgh! Researcher in Cognitive Evolution Over Deep Time. You'll study how brains & neurons have evolved over time, and predict neuron count in extinct species! jobs.ac.uk/job/DTC355/postdo…

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cognitive Evolution over Deep Time at The University of Edinburgh

jobs.ac.uk
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Alessandro Urciuoli@a_urciuoliSep 25
How can we clarify early clade diversification? Inner ear morphology helps resolve the affinities of key fossil primates at the base of the Old World monkey, ape, and human phylogenetic tree pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.25…

Early catarrhine evolution in the light of semicircular canal and vestibule shape | PNAS

The phylogenetic relationships of early catarrhines (Old World monkeys and apes) are contentious, particularly regarding pliopithecoids, which are ...

pnas.org
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Marcia Ponce de León@MarcitaPdLAug 25
Our novel research approach - named morpho-phonetics - combines geometric-morphometrics with mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) analysis. Now out in JASA: doi.org/10.1121/10.0046100

A multivariate toolkit for joint articulatory–acoustic analysis with an application to coarticula...

This study presents an integrated methodology for analyzing the effects of coarticulation on both articulatory and acoustic properties of phoneme sequences. The

pubs.aip.org
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Julia Aramendi@juliaaramendiJul 29
1/9🚨 New paper out now, open access in JHE 🚨 Can a single isolated arm or leg bone tell you what species it belonged to? This study tests this across all extant great apes — with real consequences for how we identify fossil hominins. sciencedirect.com/science/ar… 🧵👇
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Great opportunity to do some really interesting science with an incredible mentor! I know from experience 😊👇
Institute of Evolution in Africa@IDEAolduvaiAug 13
Dr. Hammond is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to join her newly formed Hominin Origins Research Group at the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA).  icp.cat/index.php/es/icp-4/t…

Posiciones abiertas

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PNASNews@PNASNewsAug 20
Mice that spent 35 days in space exhibited changes in 669 genes in a region of the inner ear known as the saccule, which houses gravity-sensing otolith organs. The study could help astronauts readapt after long-duration spaceflight. In PNAS: ow.ly/7spP50ZBWCR
A schematic illustration of the inner ear. The saccule (circled in red) is selectively affected by long-duration spaceflight. CREDIT: Chikara Abe.

ALT A schematic illustration of the inner ear. The saccule (circled in red) is selectively affected by long-duration spaceflight. CREDIT: Chikara Abe.

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Amélie Beaudet@BeaudetAmelieJul 2
🚨 PhD opportunity 🚨 Join @palevoprim as part of the #ReVol project (@CNRS @WitsUniversity Joint PhD Programme)! Spend 3 years investigating the southern African fossil cercopithecoids to reconstruct past ecology and behavior through skeletal morphology and dental microwear.
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Ashley Hammond@ashleyshammondJun 30
Interesting paper by my postdoc @PaleoNicole! Full disclosure, this is work she did before arriving to my group. Nicole and colleagues show that humans are not alone in having very difficult births. Just look at the cephalopelvic fit for New World Monkeys 😬😱 @ICP_MCrusafont
Springer Nature
@SpringerNatureJun 29
A tight fit between the birth canal and the baby’s head is not unique to humans, with comparable or tighter fits found in other primates. Findings suggest birth-related constraints have evolved in multiple ways across primates: spklr.io/6013EOZol @NatureEcoEvo

Comparative primate analysis shows that humans are not unique in having a tight cephalopelvic fit...

Nature Ecology & Evolution - Analysing cephalopelvic proportions among 29 extant primate species, the authors show that a tight cephalopelvic fit is not unique to humans, with comparable or...

nature.com
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Matteo Fabbri@tetaneuronJun 23
If you are interested in our research, lab members, and for PhD and Postdoc opportunities, this website is for you! Link: fabbrilab.com
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New paper out in @PNASNews led by @CazenaveMarine1 shows different locomotor repertoires in Swartkrans Paranthropus and Sterkfontein Australopithecus! mpg.de/26471037/swartkrans-p…

Swartkrans Paranthropus and Sterkfontein Australopithecus  had different locomotor repertoires

Paranthropus robustus from southern Africa combined upright walking and more frequent climbing than the older Australopithecus in the same region

mpg.de
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Steve Brusatte@SteveBrusatteApr 16
When the asteroid hit, why did birds survive when all other dinosaurs died? It's a question I ponder in my upcoming book The Story of Birds. But first, I explore it here for @sciam ! scientificamerican.com/artic…

An asteroid extinguished all the dinosaurs except for birds. Here’s why

Scientists finally understand why birds were the only dinosaurs to pull through the end-Cretaceous mass extinction

scientificamerican.com
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Dr. Heather F. Smith@heatherfsmithApr 16
If you're attending Anatomy Connected 2026, check out our session on navigating the publication landscape in anatomical sciences with presentations by the Editors-in-Chief of all 3 @AnatomyOrg journals! Friday 4/17 4:00-5:30pm in Ruidoso/San Miguel 220/215
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Dr. Todd L. Green@TheCassowaryKidApr 14
I am honored to have our #cassowary #biofluorescence study highlighted in the @NatGeoAnimals story that came out today! Thank you to writer, @toochoicetaylor and @NatGeo for having interest in our research! @NYITCOMResearch @NYITCOMAR @diceCT @TetZoo nationalgeographic.com/anima…

The surprising hidden glow of one of Earth’s largest birds

Scientists were surprised to discover cassowaries glow under ultraviolet light. It may help the birds distinguish between different species.

nationalgeographic.com
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Dr. Todd L. Green@TheCassowaryKidApr 1
World’s most dangerous bird has bizarre, glowing headgear | Science | AAAS science.org/content/article/… Thank you to Perri Thaler for her article in @ScienceMagazine @aaasabout about our new #cassowary publication in @SciReports!!

World’s most dangerous bird has bizarre, glowing headgear

Structures on cassowaries’ skulls fluoresce under UV light, hinting at a hidden visual signal

science.org
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Alessandro Urciuoli@a_urciuoliMar 31
Finally our latest paper in the Journal of Mammalian Evolution is out!!! Have a look at what an additional Oreopithecus partial cranium can tell us about the phylogenetic position of this enigmatic Late Miocene Italian ape. rdcu.be/fa21y #paleoanthropology #APES
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Why does this matter? Because the “peripheral vestibular system” isn’t one unified module. The semicircular canals and otolithic organs are distinct systems with different evolutionary trajectories.
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By redefining how we understand the evolution and organization of the vestibular system, this work establishes an expanded framework to investigate its roles in movement, perception, and sensory adaptation!
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