Tangled Banks Seminar - Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan
Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan is a world renown palaeo-biologist at the University of Cape Town. Her research on the microscopic structure of mineralised tissues has led to a better understanding of the biology of a variety of extinct animals, such as, dinosaurs (including birds), the flying reptiles, and the mammal-like reptiles (therapsids). She has published extensively - both in high-ranking international scientific journals as well as, in the popular press, and her free online MOOC on “Extinctions - Past and Present” ranks in the Top 50 worldwide. In addition, she has authored two academic books, The Microstructure of Dinosaur Bone (Johns Hopkins University Press, USA, 2005) and "The Forerunners of Mammals: Radiation. Histology. Biology" (Indiana University Press, USA, 2012), as well as four popular level books: "Famous Dinosaurs of Africa" (RandomHouseStruik, SA, 2008); “Fossils for Africa” (Cambridge University Press, 2014); Dinosaurs of Africa (RandomHouseStruik, 2021); Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Life (Dorling Kindersley, UK, 2021).
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Palaeobiological deductions from fossil bone microstructure
In this talk, I will provide an overview of some of the highlights of my research in the field of palaeobiology. Using case studies, I will demonstrate how studies of fossil bone microstructure (histology) has provided insights into various aspects of the biology the nonmammalian therapsids, dinosaurs (including early birds, as well as some highly derived recently extinct giant birds, such as the dromornithids from Australia, and the aepyornithids from Madagascar). I will also give you a glimpse of recent and current research in my lab that examines ecological adaptations and ontogenetic growth of wide range of vertebrates.