Laura McLennan

Laura McLennan serves as Senior Lecturer in Geology and Palaeontology and Assistant Head of Discipline within the College of Science and Engineering, demonstrating dual expertise in academic leadership and earth sciences research.

Her research program centers on Palaeontology and Geology, specializing in Dental Microwear Texture Analysis to decode dietary behaviors of extinct marine predators. She pioneers methodologies examining microscopic wear patterns on fossilized elasmobranch teeth, directly linking tooth morphology to feeding ecology in ancient shark and ray lineages. This work bridges geological time scales with biological adaptation studies.

Her 2021 Scientific Reports publication establishes dental microwear as a validated tool for dietary discrimination in elasmobranchs, reflecting a concentrated research trajectory in quantitative paleontological methods. The study's focus on texture analysis metrics indicates strong interdisciplinary alignment with materials science and biomechanics.