February 20, 2019
Stephanie Pierce and graduate student Zachary Morris examined how the crocodylian skull changed over time by comparing embryonic development with later growth in all species of living crocodiles. Their work demonstrates that the diversity of skull shapes found today was realized by altering developmental patterns during evolution. You can read more about the research in the Harvard Gazette and see the published study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Research led by MCZ Faculty Curator See also: Vertebrate Paleontology