معرفی
Laura M. MacLatchy is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology and an Associate Research Scientist in the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan. She earned her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1995. Her research focuses on primate locomotor evolution, hominoid origins, and the interplay between biological form and function. She leads a multidisciplinary NSF-funded paleontological project in Eastern Uganda examining the evolution of upright locomotion in fossil apes. Her fieldwork spans Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Egypt, and Chad, with a strong emphasis on understanding early Miocene ecosystems and their impact on ape evolution.
Her work integrates fossil analysis, isotopic studies, and behavioral observations in wild primates. Major projects include investigating the locomotor adaptations of Proconsul fossils and the ecological drivers of hominoid diversification. She has directed excavations at critical sites like Napak and Moroto II in Uganda, yielding insights into ape evolution and habitat dynamics.
MacLatchy’s research also explores isotopic dietary ecology in primates and human ancestors, linking skeletal morphology to locomotor behavior. She has published extensively on topics such as chimpanzee bipedalism, Miocene environmental shifts, and the functional anatomy of fossil hominoids. Her lab (422 West Hall) supports advanced imaging and morphometric analyses of primate skeletal material.
Grants include NSF support for studies on skeletal correlates of locomotion and Miocene paleoenvironments. She collaborates internationally on projects reconstructing ancient ecosystems and ape dietary niches. Her work bridges paleontology, primatology, and evolutionary biology, contributing to our understanding of human origins and primate adaptation.
