Katrina Jones

Dr. Katrina Jones is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Presidential Fellow at The University of Manchester. Her research focuses on the anatomy and evolution of the mammal skeleton, particularly the axial skeleton's functional and evolutionary adaptations. She holds a PhD in Functional Anatomy and Evolution from Johns Hopkins University and conducted NSF-funded postdoctoral research at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Her expertise spans mammalian evolution, comparative anatomy, palaeontology, and zoology. Key projects include examining vertebral function in early mammals and the evolutionary origins of locomotor patterns. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams, including the Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life (ICAL) and the 'Evolutionary mechanisms and dynamics' project.

Awards include the American Association of Anatomy Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018), Romer Prize (2014), and Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2020). Her work integrates biomechanical experiments, digital modeling (e.g., AutoBend software), and fossil analysis to explore how vertebral structure influences evolutionary trajectories. She serves as an editor for Zoology and has published extensively on axial regionalization, functional morphology, and evolutionary constraints in mammals and extinct species.