Research: Graduate Student Profile

 

Snapshots...

Alan Turner
Paleontology, AMNH

M.S., Geoscience, University of Iowa, 2004.
B.S., Geology, University of Cincinnati, 2001.

"The program between Columbia University and the American Museum of Natural History represents a rare opportunity to interact with two outstanding research communities. The quality of researchers and graduate students at the Museum bolsters your own research questions, not to mention access to the Museum's unparalleled collections. The geology oriented resources, courses and research tradition of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory complements and builds on this and ultimately leads to stronger, more contextual paleontology."

Phylogenetic Relationships of Paravian Theropods

Theropoda is one of the three major clades of Dinosauria, and includes what are probably the most recognized fossil animals, the terrible Tyrannosaurus rex and the agile Velociraptor made famous by the Jurassic Park movies. Moreover, theropod dinosaurs include the 9,000 living species of birds making it one of the most diverse groups of extant tetrapods. The diversity of theropod dinosaurs represents over 210 million years of evolutionary history.

Arguably the most persistent problem in the study of the evolution of birds and avian flight is uncertainly about the exact relationships of the non-flying theropods that are the closest relatives of the lineage leading to birds. Two clades, dromaeosaurids and troodontids, are agreed to be most closely related to this bird lineage. Together these taxa constitute a group called Paraves. Paravian phylogeny is in flux. Recent discoveries provide direct fossil evidence that at least some dromaeosaurids were covered with featherlike structures and one species even had feathers of modern aspect. Discovery of a troodontid in a stereotypical bird-like sleeping posture further underscores that the acquisition of many "avian" features preceded the actual origin of birds. New discoveries of basal dromaeosaurids and troodontids from the Early Cretaceous (approx. 110 Mya) of China and Mongolian raise issues concerning paravian phylogeny and therefore our understanding of bird origins and the evolution of flight.

My dissertation includes the study of new species of dromaeosaurids and troodontids as well as a detailed morphological phylogenetic study, considering all known basal paravians and previously understudied anatomical regions. This analysis will allow us to understand the evolutionary history and relationships of this group of dinosaurs, which is critical to understanding the origin and evolution of characters associated with avian flight.

Advisors: Mark Norell (AMNH) , John Flynn (AMNH) , and Professor Paul E. Olsen.