Alec Wilken, PhD

Alec Wilken, PhD, is a researcher who explores form-function relationships in vertebrate anatomy across deep time to understand the role that morphology plays in the diversification of vertebrate lineages. Dr. Wilken uses novel imaging techniques, the fossil record and computational biomechanical approaches like finite element analysis (FEA) to answer questions related to "key innovations" in vertebrate evolution, with a focus on the function of the ear and jaw in the ancestors of modern mammals.