Tom Goodwin

Tom Goodwin is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Andrews University. He holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Kansas, with specialties in vertebrate paleontology and rodent systematics. His research focuses on fossil and modern ground-dwelling squirrels, rodent incisor growth patterns as biorecorders, and microvertebrate taphonomy. He has been affiliated with Andrews University since 1994 after teaching at Loma Linda University. His work bridges scientific study and Christian faith perspectives.

Education: BA Biology (Southern Adventist University), MA Biology (Loma Linda University), PhD Biology (University of Kansas).

Research interests include systematics of fossil ground squirrels, hibernation physiology recorded in rodent teeth, and taphonomic analysis of microvertebrate assemblages. His lab has published extensively on Sciuridae evolution across the Cenozoic, with studies integrating paleontological, morphometric, and ecological approaches.

Publications span over three decades, emphasizing rodent paleobiology and Pleistocene-Pliocene transitions. His work demonstrates strong methodological rigor in dental morphometrics and faunal community analysis. Notable contributions include clarifying the evolutionary relationships of prairie dogs and reconstructing hibernation patterns in extinct species through tooth analysis.

Advising has involved mentoring students like K Bullock, B Kisser, and D Gonzalez in field and lab research. His current projects explore incisor growth increments as proxies for environmental and behavioral data in both fossil and living rodents.

Labs/Teams: The Goodwin Lab focuses on integrating fieldwork, histological analysis, and phylogenetic methods to study rodent evolution. Collaborations include projects on North American Pleistocene faunas and microvertebrate taphonomy in sinkhole deposits.