Michael E. Burns
 |
Research Interests
I am a PhD
student working on growth and allometry in ankylosaurs, the armoured dinosaurs.
I want to address allometric growth within individual populations of
ankylosaurs and assess the effects of ontogeny on our understanding of their phylogeny.
I also plan to investigate life history and growth curves for ankylosaurs using
histological techniques. This knowledge will further my research towards better
understanding of the paleobiology, paleoecology, and
evolutionary history of the group.
I also have an interest in the application of histological techniques to problems
in vertebrate palaeontology. I completed my master’s degree here at the U of A
in 2010. My work had focused on the dermal armour of ankylosaurs (composed of
individual bones embedded in the skin called osteoderms). When compared to
other modern and fossil groups (turtles, crocodiles, armadillos, etc), it is
evident that these osteoderms yield morphological and histological characters
useful for phylogenetic reconstructions.
My BSc was completed in 2007 at Dickinson College with a major in geology and
minor in biology. Preliminary work on ankylosaur osteoderms at the State Museum
of Pennsylvania allowed me to confirm the validity of the species Glyptodontopelta mimus, then considered a nomen dubium.
Contact
Michael Burns,
PhD Student
Offfice: Z 413, Biological Sciences
Phone: 1 (780) 492-1252
Email: mburns@ualberta.ca
Academic Training
BSc, Dickinson College, 2007
MSc, University of Alberta, 2010
|
Last Modified:2011-03-09 |