The University of Florida Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 10, with the program titled “Beyond the Skeleton: Modeling the Soft Tissues of Dinosaurs and Why We Should Care.”
Emma Schachner, assistant professor, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, will be the speaker.
This free lecture will be presented in person at the UF Whitney Laboratory Lohman Auditorium, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd., St. Augustine. Those interested also have the option of registering to watch via Zoom live the night of the lecture.
To register to watch online, go to https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RNPcvN-kTyCJdejomqrvxw.
What were dinosaur lungs like and how do we know? Reconstructing the soft tissues of extinct animals requires careful detailed study of the anatomy and physiology of living animals — specifically birds, the closest living relatives of dinosaurs.
This means getting up close with as many birds as possible. By combining cutting edge imaging techniques like 3D digital anatomical modeling, with classical anatomical dissection and paleontological analysis, Schachner will explain the myriad good and bad ways to investigate what dinosaurs were really like. Additionally, she will share how some of the methods she uses to address these questions can be directly applied to human and veterinary medicine.
Schachner studies the anatomy, physiology, development and evolution the respiratory system of reptiles and birds (including dinosaurs). She runs a multidisciplinary research lab at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine. Her research group also specializes in 3D digital imaging and the visual communication of science.
She earned her Ph.D. in paleontology at the University of Pennsylvania, then her postdoctoral training in respiratory physiology at the University of Utah and veterinary biomedical sciences at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. She currently teaches anatomy to first year veterinary students but spent seven years teaching human anatomy to dental, medical and allied health students.
She gave a 2020 TED Talk on “The secret weapon that let dinosaurs take over the planet.” More information on her research and team can be found at theropoda.com.
