Christopher Dunmore

Dr. Christopher Dunmore is a Lecturer in Animal Biology and Director of the Imaging Centre for Life Sciences at the University of Kent’s School of Anthropology and Conservation. His research focuses on human evolution, particularly reconstructing fossil hominin hand use during locomotion and tool-use emergence. He completed his PhD at the University of Kent in 2019, studying the functional morphology of Australopithecus sediba’s hand. His work integrates micro-CT scans, machine learning algorithms, and comparative analyses of extant and extinct vertebrates to interpret bone architecture and behavior.

Education:

• PhD, University of Kent, 2019 (Paleobiology)

Research Interests:

• Functional morphology of post-cranial skeletons
• Imaging techniques (micro-CT, 3D analysis)
• Trabecular bone architecture and its relation to mechanical loads
• Evolution of hominin locomotion and tool use

Publications Trends: Recent work emphasizes computational methods for trabecular bone analysis, comparisons of hominid locomotor adaptations, and the application of machine learning to paleontological data. Key topics include metacarpal morphology, femur structure, and Neanderthal manipulation abilities.

Professional Affiliations: Member of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA) and the European Society for the Study of Human Evolution (ESHE).

Research Infrastructure: Leads the Imaging Centre for Life Sciences, advancing methodologies in bone analysis and 3D imaging. Collaborates extensively with global researchers on hominin fossils and experimental studies.