Michael D. D'Emic

Michael D. D'Emic is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Adelphi University, within the College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on dinosaur evolution, bone histology, tooth development, and paleoecology. He teaches courses in histology, vertebrate evolution, human anatomy, and paleobiology, and mentors both undergraduate and graduate researchers.

• PhD, University of Michigan (2011)
• MS, University of Michigan (2010)
• BA with Distinction, Boston University (2006)

Dr. D'Emic's research lies at the intersection of paleontology, anatomy, and evolutionary biology. He investigates how dinosaurs evolved extreme body sizes, how their bones and teeth grew, and how these traits relate to ecological and environmental changes. His work integrates histological techniques with phylogenetic and stratigraphic data to reconstruct growth patterns and life histories of extinct vertebrates.

His recent publications span high-impact journals such as Science, Current Biology, and Science Advances, focusing on sauropod gigantism, theropod miniaturization, dental evolution, and Cretaceous ecosystems. These works reflect a strong trend toward quantitative, tissue-level analysis of dinosaur biology and its evolutionary implications.

Dr. D'Emic has secured multiple research grants from the National Conservation Lands Scientific Support Program, the Eppley Foundation, the Toomey Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, and Adelphi University. These fund fieldwork, fossil excavation, and studies on climate impacts on growth and the evolution of mammalian megaherbivores.

• Survey of fossil resources in the Pryor Mountain Wilderness Study Area (BLM)
• Growth and evolution of long-necked dinosaurs (Adelphi FDR)
• Evolution of the first mammalian megaherbivore (Eppley Foundation)
• Climate impact on evolution of growth (Toomey Foundation)
• Excavation of a rare dinosaur bonebed (American Philosophical Society)

He is a Senior Editor for the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology and has contributed to science outreach through a TED-Ed lesson on mass extinctions. He also organized the Northeast Regional Vertebrate Evolution Symposium at Adelphi University in 2016, fostering academic collaboration in the field.