معرفی
Dr. Stephanie Melillo is an Assistant Professor at Mercyhurst University (Office: Zurn 61), specializing in paleoanthropology with a focus on australopith fossils—key ancestors in human evolution. Her research investigates shoulder anatomy adaptations during the transition from arboreal locomotion to bipedalism, employing advanced methodologies like CT/surface scanning, geometric morphometrics, and musculoskeletal modeling to reconstruct skeletal biomechanics.
Education
- Ph.D. from Stanford University
- Post-doctoral research at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany)
Research Focus
Dr. Melillo's work spans two primary domains: (1) functional analysis of extinct hominin capabilities through anatomical studies, and (2) taxonomic identification and evolutionary relationships of early human ancestors. She is a key contributor to the Woranso-Mille Paleontological Project in Ethiopia, co-discovering landmark specimens including the Australopithecus anamensis cranium and the Australopithecus afarensis 'Kadanuumuu' partial skeleton.
Additional Affiliations
She maintains active collaboration with the Arizona State University Institute of Human Origins through the Woranso-Mille project led by Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie.
