Name Matthew Bonnan | ||
Matthew Bonnan is an American paleobiologist and a Professor of Biological Sciences at Stockton University. His research combines traditional descriptive and anatomical study with computer-aided morphometric analysis and modeling of vertebrate skeletons. See also Dr. Bonnan's blog on his research and teaching at The Evolving Paleontologist.
Contents
- Research and teaching
- Education
- Dinosaurs
- XROMM X ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology
- Dr Bonnan in the News
- The Bare Bones An Unconventional Evolutionary History of the Skeleton
- Understanding science evolution
- The Evolving Paleontologist Blog
- References
Research and teaching
Bonnan's research focuses on three broad but interconnected areas of research: 1) the evolution of dinosaur locomotion, particularly in the giant, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs; 2) the evolution of an erect posture from a sprawled posture in dinosaurs and mammals; and 3) the evolution of pronation and supination in the forelimb of tetrapods. To these ends, he has utilized traditional anatomical approaches as well as state-of-the-art computer modeling to understand and infer how the limbs of both extinct and extant tetrapods have evolved and adapted. Currently, he has begun to utilize XROMM (X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology) to produce three-dimensional animations of small animal bones in vivo. His current research focuses on the three-dimensional kinematics of lizard and mammal forelimbs, as means to "reverse engineer" how early dinosaur and mammal relatives may have moved and stood.
Dr. Bonnan teaches a variety of anatomy-based and evolutionary biology courses at Stockton University covering diverse topics such as vertebrate embryology, comparative vertebrate anatomy, vertebrate evolution, systematics, dinosaurs, and general zoology.
Education
Dinosaurs
Dr. Bonnan's overarching research focus is the evolution of dinosaur locomotion and its links to dinosaur gigantism. To this end:
XROMM (X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology)
Recently, Bonnan's research focuses on the three-dimensional kinematics of lizard and mammal forelimbs, as means to "reverse engineer" how early dinosaur and mammal relatives may have moved and stood, using the XROMM technique pioneered at Brown University.
Dr. Bonnan in the News
In the spring of 2008, Dr. Bonnan was involved with a new Morrison Formation dinosaur quarry in Hanksville, Utah. His expertise in the concentration of Sauropod dinosaurs metapodials (and/or caudal vertebrae) a were sought after by and aided the excavation efforts of the Burpee Museum of Natural History. Dr. Bonnan continues to assist the Burpee Museum in excavating the Hanksville-Burpee site.
He is also a co-discoverer of the almost-sauropod Aardonyx celestae which has garnered international media attention and should serve to illuminate the early beginnings of sauropod gigantism.
He is a co-discoverer of an early "prosauropod" Arcusaurus pereirabdalorum
He is a co-discoverer of an early true sauropod Pulanesaura eocollum
The Bare Bones: An Unconventional Evolutionary History of the Skeleton
In 2016, Dr. Bonnan published a book, The Bare Bones: An Unconventional Evolutionary History of the Skeleton, designed to introduce undergraduates and curious lay readers to the anatomy and evolution of the vertebrate skeleton. Bonnan's book approaches the topic of vertebrate evolution from the perspective of the skeleton as a living machine, using analogies with technology and tools to help readers understand how vertebrate animals "work." Since its publication, the book has received several positive reviews
Understanding science & evolution
Dr. Bonnan runs a webpage on science and evolution where he discusses how the so-called "battle" between science and religion is false, and provides interested students and laypersons with information and podcasts on the scope and limits of science
Dr. Bonnan now has a short educational video on the basic concept of biological evolution on YouTube.
The Evolving Paleontologist Blog
Dr. Bonnan runs and updates the Evolving Paleontologist Blog [1] which blogs and posts on all topics related to vertebrate paleontology, functional morphology, evolutionary biology, and whatever else strikes his scientific interests.