Nathan Jeffery

I work in the field of functional and evolutionary anatomy, with a particular interest in the application of novel imaging, computational methods and experimental models to investigate phenotypic plasticity and constraint in the mammalian skull, ranging from structural mechanics through to the competing spatial requirements of soft-tissue modules (e.g. brain and masticatory musculature). My research helps demonstrate just how leaky the genome to phenome pipeline can be by investigating the extent to which simple physical interactions can yield phenotypic variability and morphological covariation within individuals, populations, and among species. Interesting counterweight to the prevailing genocentric/molecular view of form and adaptionist paradigms, and may help decipher which fossil traits carry the most/least reliable information pertaining to ecology, function and phylogeny. Turns out the science and the techniques are useful for some of the preclinical and clinical sciences as well.

January 2014