I am fascinated by the biology of the chewing apparatus in mammals. My research focuses on the influence of biomechanical properties on evolution, morphology, dietary adaptation, and the form and function of hard tissues. I use high resolution scanning and material testing to characterise and quantify dental tissues three-dimensionally.
Principally, I am looking for general patterns and the transitions detectable in various extinct and extant mammalian orders such as primates (including humans), carnivores, ungulates, and early mammals, and I am particularly interested in testing the incidence of functional gradients in skull and teeth geometry, scaling, and wear resistance. In order to investigate this response to wear, I have used feeding experiments with controlled animal fodder as well as data from field studies.