Tim J. Gaudin

Tim J. Gaudin is a UC Foundation Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His research focuses on the systematics, morphological evolution, and biogeography of edentate mammals such as anteaters, sloths, and pangolins, along with Pleistocene vertebrate faunas in southeastern Tennessee. He has led NSF-funded projects, including a collaborative ATOL grant on mammalian phylogeny using genomic and morphological data (2006–2011). Gaudin teaches courses in Mammalogy, Paleobiology, and the History of Evolutionary Thought. He has authored/co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, with recent work on giant sloth evolution, leprosy in armadillos, and cranial anatomy of extinct sloths. His fieldwork includes fossil recovery in Lookout Mountain, TN, and collaborations in Bolivia and Germany. He serves on editorial boards for journals like the Journal of Mammalian Evolution and Eastern Paleontologist, and has curated the UTC Natural History Museum. His grants include ongoing studies on edentate phylogeny and fossil morphology.

Education: PhD in Organismal Biology & Anatomy from the University of Chicago (1993), BS in Zoology from the University of Georgia (1983).

Research Interests: Paleontology of xenarthrans, morphological evolution of mammals, Pleistocene biogeography, and biodiversity surveys in Tennessee. Techniques include 3D imaging of fossils and CT-scanning of vertebrate remains.

Grants/Projects: NSF ATOL grant (2006–2011), recent work on Eurotamandua morphology in Germany, and field studies in Bolivia. Active in collaborative projects with international institutions like the Senckenberg Research Institute and Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Labs/Teams: Leads UTC’s paleontology research group, focusing on fossil recovery and 3D modeling. Collaborates with the UTC Natural History Museum for specimen curation and public outreach.