Nathan Kley

Nathan Kley is an Associate Professor at Stony Brook University, affiliated with the Renaissance School of Medicine and the Department of Anatomical Sciences. His research focuses on the evolution of form and function in squamate reptiles, particularly snakes.

• Education: PhD, University of Massachusetts, 2001

Dr. Kley specializes in the functional and evolutionary morphology of snake feeding systems, examining the head skeleton, jaw apparatus, and pelvic structures. His work includes comparative studies of feeding performance, cranial morphometrics, and the evolutionary implications of limb reduction in snakes.

He employs advanced techniques like X-ray videography, high-speed videography, computed tomography, histology, and gross dissection. His lab maintains a diverse live snake colony (over 100 individuals, 30+ species) for research on macrophagy and osteological correlates of prey ingestion. Collaborative paleontological projects include studies of Cretaceous and Eocene fossil snakes and reptiles with colleagues like Drs. Krause, Turner, Seiffert, and O'Leary.