My dissertation research focused on macroevolutionary patterns and processes in bats (Order Chiroptera). Bats are one of the most diverse groups of modern mammals: they are not only rich in species diversity, but display an incredible diversity of forms, ecologies, and behaviors. By integrating data from the field and collections, and using the power of modern computational methods, I sought to understand what has driven the remarkable radiation of these charismatic animals.

Diversification and Phylogenetics
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A print from Kunstformen der Natur (Art Forms of Nature), shared under a Creative Commons license.
What has caused some groups of organisms to become extremely species-rich, yet others have remained species-poor? How variable are rates of diversification across the tree of life? I seek to answer these questions in modern bats, which are characterized by highly variable species richness and functional diversity throughout their radiation.

Much of the conceptual foundation of this work is embedded in the framework of the program BAMM (Bayesian Analysis of Macroevolutionary Mixtures) and its companion R package BAMMtools, which are joint collaborative projects of the Rabosky Lab and close affiliates. Please see the BAMM homepage for more details.

Evolutionary Ecology
Skull shape across bats is both highly variable and predictive of ecological function and ecosystem services. By quantifying differences in skull shape and modeling their evolution across modern bats, we may reveal some of the ecological context of diversification. Furthermore, we can test whether or not patterns of diversification are coupled with patterns of trait evolution, and can also detect signals of biogeography and history.
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Sample bat crania from the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology. Clockwise from top-left: insectivore (Antrozous), frugivore (Pteropus), carnivore (Noctilio), nectarivore (Choeronycteris), sanguivore (Desmodus).

Complex Shape Evolution

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3D printed bulldog/fishing (Noctilio leporinus) and vampire (Desmodus rotundus) bat skulls.
Much of our current knowledge of morphological evolution is in two-dimensions, or only approximates the complexity of actual biological structures. Advances in imaging technology - specifically X-ray computed microtomography (microCT) - have enormous potential for capturing shape variation in higher dimensions. I am currently conducting a collaborative study on skull shape evolution in complex space.​ As part of this project, I work with high-resolution 3D printing and imaging, seen to the left and below.

Nearly 700 skulls for this research project are published as an open-access repository on MorphoSource. Please see the published paper in PLOS ONE for more details, and for citation info.