Contact Information
Victor E. Shelford Vivarium
608 E Hailey St
Champaign, Il, 61820
Research Areas
Biography
I am a Ph.D. student in the department of Evolution Ecology and Behavior. I graduated with a Master in Paleontology in Montpellier (France) where I described 3 extinct species of stingrays from the fossil record of Contamana (Peru). During an internship, I joined Friday Harbor Lab at UW on Scan all Fishes project where I learned multiple imagery softwares and developed interest in µ-CT scanning. My research at UIUC focuses on how shape influences function, describing performance of puncturing tools in nature.
Research Interests
As a former paleontologist, I have a keen interest in evolution of morphological variation in animal weaponry. I am particularly interested in stingrays who’ve developed a defensive feature located on the base of their tails to protect themselves against multiple predators such as sharks, big teleosts, and crocodiles.
Research Description
I am seeking an understanding of the morphological variation seen in stingray spines and how ecological, phylogenic or biomechanical factors influence that variation using experimental, histological and comparative methods