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Natalia Rybczynski

Natalia Rybczynski

Natalia Rybczynski

Research Scientist, Earth Sciences
Research Services
Tel.: 613.566.2462
Fax: 613.364.4027
Email: nrybczynski@mus-nature.ca

Education

  • Ph.D., Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, Duke University, USA., 2003.
  • M.Sc., Zoology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1996.
  • B.Sc. Highest Honours, Integrated Science Studies, Carleton University, Canada, 1994.

Specialties

Research addresses three major conceptual areas:

  • (1) evolutionary functional morphology associated with major evolutionary transitions,
  • (2) relationships between morphological and behavioural evolution,
  • (3) relationship between climate and evolution at Polar latitudes.

Investigative approaches are varied and include field work, biomechanics, anatomical dissection, paleontology, animation modeling, behavioral observation, and phylogenetics.

Note to prospective students: Although vertebrates form a major focus of this research, research on other organisms that falls within these conceptual areas is welcome.

Projects

Some current project topics:

  • Functional morphology and evolution of “niche construction traits” in beavers (e.g., woodcutting).
  • Functional morphology and evolution of mammals adapted to life in water (e.g., beavers, otters, seals) or underground (e.g., subterranean rodents).
  • Feeding kinematics in herbivorous dinosaurs and early synapsids.
  • Ecosystems, landscapes and climate change in the Neogene High Arctic.

Professional Services

  • Adjunct research professor with:
    Biology, Carleton University
    Earth Sciences, Carleton

  • Scientific society affiliations:
    Canadian Society of Zoologists, 2007-
    Sigma Xi, 1998-
    Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, 1995-
    Society of Systematic Biologists, 1995-
    Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, 1995-
    The Paleontological Association, 1995-

Students

  • Current graduate students
    Joanne Northover
    Master’s program, Earth Sciences.
    Topic: Postcranial anatomy and functional morphology of a new Miocene carnivore from the Canadian High Arctic.

  • Current undergraduate students
    Travis Mitchell
    Honours project, Earth Sciences.
    Topic: A Pliocene lagomorph from the Canadian High Arctic

    Felicia St-Louis
    Honours project, Biology.
    Topic: Material properties of biocomposite in beaver tail

  • Research group alumni

    2007-2008
    Derek Boyd
    Independent study, Integrated Science Studies (INSC 3909).
    Title: Material properties of biocomposite in beaver tail

    Kristin Clark
    Independent study, Environmental Studies (ENST 4907)
    Title: How beavers modify ecosystems

    Dmitri Ponomarenko M.Sc.
    M.Sc thesis, Earth Sciences.
    Title: Burrow morphology, burrow preservation, and evidence of
    digging behaviour in ground-dwelling squirrels (Sciuridae)
    Currently: employed at Geological Survey of Canada

    Karyne Bellehumeur, B.Sc.H.
    Research assistant.
    Title: Kinematics of beaver swimming
    Currently: graduate studies at University of Ottawa

    Michael Arsenault
    Research assistant.
    Title: Kinematics of beaver swimming
    Currently: finishing B.Sc. degree

    2006-2007
    Elizabeth Ross, B.Sc.H.
    Honours thesis project, Earth Sciences.
    Title: A geometric morphometric reevaluation of the validity of the genus Sinocastor Rodentia: Castoridae)

    2005-2006
    Kristin I. Hynes, B.Sc.H.
    Honours thesis project, Earth Sciences.
    Title: The evolution of the grooming claw in Castoridae
    Currently: finishing M.Sc. of Entomology at University of Manitoba

Links

Publications

  • Murray, A.M., Cumbaa, S.L., Harington, C.R., Smith, G.R. and Rybczynski, N. (2009). Early Pliocene Fish Remains from Arctic Canada Support a Pre-Pleistocene Dispersal of Percids (Teleostei: Perciformes). Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 46: 557-570.

  • Rybczynski, N., Dawson, M.R. and Tedford, R.H. (2009). A Semi-aquatic Arctic Mammalian Carnivore from the Miocene Epoch and Origin of Pinnipedia. Nature 458: 1021-1024.

  • Rybczynski, N. (2008). Woodcutting Behavior in Beavers (Castoridae, Rodentia): Estimating Ecological Performance in a Modern and a Fossil Taxon. Palaeobiology 34(3): 389-402.

  • Rybczynski, N., Tirabasso, A., Cuthbertson, R. and Holliday, C. (2008). A 3D Animation Model of Edmontosaurus (Hadrosauridae) Skull for Testing Chewing Hypotheses. Paleontologica Electronica 11(2):1-14.
    http://palaeo-electronica.org/2008_2/132/index.html (Web site consulted November 19, 2008)

  • Rybczynski, N. (2007). Castorid Phylogenetics: Implications for the Evolution of Swimming and Tree Exploitation in Beavers. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 14: 1-35.

  • Vavrek, M.J., Larsson, H.C.E., Rybczynski, N. (2007). A Late Triassic Flora from East-Central Axel-Heiberg Island, Nunavut, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 44: 1653-1659.

  • Ballantyne, A.P., Rybczynski, N. Baker, P. Harington, C.R., White, D. (2006). Pliocene Arctic Temperature Constraints from the Growth Rings and Isotopic Composition of Fossil Larch Wood. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 242 (3,4): 188-200.

  • Korth, W.W. and Rybczynski, N. (2003). A New Unusual Castorid (Rodentia) from the Earliest Miocene of Nebraska. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 23(3): 667-675.

  • Rybczynski, N. and Reisz, R.R. (2001). Earliest Evidence for Efficient Oral Processing in a Terrestrial Herbivore. Nature 411: 684-687.

  • Rybczynski, N. and Vickaryous, M.K. (2001). Evidence of Complex Jaw Movement in the Late Cretaceous Ankylosaurid, Euoplocephalus tutus (Dinosauria: Thyreophora) pp. 299-317 In Carpenter, K. (ed.), The Armored Dinosaurs. Indiana University Press, Bloomington.

  • Modesto, S. and Rybczynski, N. (2000). A Review of the Late Permian Amniote Faunas of Russia. pp. 17-33 In Benton, M.J., Kurochkin, E.N., Novikov, I.V., Shishkin, M.A. and Unwin, S.M. (eds), The Age of Dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia: Fossil vertebrates from the Permian and Mesozoic of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

  • Rybczynski, N. (2000). Cranial Anatomy and Phylogenetic Position of the Basal Anomodont (Therapsida), Suminia getmanovi. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 130 (3): 329-373.