Matt Friedman

Prof. Matt Friedman is a Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan (U-M), serving as Director and Curator of the Museum of Paleontology. He holds affiliations with the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Friedman specializes in vertebrate evolution, integrating fossil evidence with genomic and anatomical data to unravel evolutionary processes.

Education: B.S. in Biology and Geology (University of Rochester, 2002), M.Phil. in Zoology (University of Cambridge, 2004), Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology (University of Chicago, 2009). Before joining U-M, he held academic roles at the University of Oxford (2009–2016).

Research Interests: Friedman’s work focuses on the evolutionary assembly of vertebrate biodiversity. Key projects include the study of flatfish asymmetry using genomic and fossil evidence, the origins of marine osteoglossids, and the functional morphology of ancient ray-finned fishes. Recent findings reaffirm natural selection’s role in shaping unique anatomical traits like flatfish eye migration.

Scientific Contributions: He has published extensively on topics such as teleost evolution, Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction impacts, and the phylogenetic relationships of early vertebrates. His 2022 Schuchert Award recognizes contributions to paleontology.

• Advising: Friedman mentors students in paleontology and evolutionary biology, though specific advisee names are not listed here.
• Grants: His research has been supported by grants enabling fieldwork and genomic studies, though specific grants are not detailed in the provided texts.

Labs/Teams: As Museum Director, Friedman leads initiatives at the Museum of Paleontology, including fieldwork at Camp Davis and collaborative projects with international researchers like Alessio Capobianco. His team investigates fossilized remains to decode evolutionary history and ecological adaptations.