Thomas Macrini
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
EXPERTISE:- Vertebrate Paleontology
- Comparative Anatomy
- Mammalian Osteology
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:Macrini, T. E., G. W. Rougier, and T. Rowe. 2007. Description of a cranial endocast from the fossil mammal Vincelestes neuquenianus (Theriiformes) and its relevance to the evolution of endocranial characters in therians. Anatomical Record 290:875–892.
Macrini, T. E., T. Rowe, and J. L. VandeBerg. 2007. Cranial endocasts from a growth series of Monodelphis domestica (Didelphidae, Marsupialia): a study of individual and ontogenetic variation. Journal of Morphology 268:844–865.
Macrini, T. E. 2009. Description of a digital cranial endocast of Bathygenys reevesi (Merycoidodontidae; Oreodonta) and implications for apomorphy–based diagnosis of isolated, natural endocasts. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29:1199–1211.
Macrini, T. E., J. J. Flynn, D. A. Croft, and A. R. Wyss. 2010. Inner ear of a notoungulate placental mammal: anatomical description and examination of potentially phylogenetically informative characters. Journal of Anatomy 216:600–610.
Rowe, T., T. E. Macrini, and Z.–X. Luo. 2011. Fossil evidence on origin of the mammalian brain. Science 332:955–957.
TEACHING:- General Biology I and II
- Forensic Osteology
- Comparative Anatomy
- Foundations of Reflection: Nature
EDUCATION:- B.A. Biology, May 1997, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
- M.S. Geological Sciences, August 2000, The University of Texas at Austin
- Ph.D. Geological Sciences, May 2006, The University of Texas at Austin
Scientists have wondered for decades why mammals’ brains are so large relative to their body size, but for the most part all they could do was guess. That is, until a young doctoral student named Thomas Macrini teamed up with two world–class researchers to reveal the secrets hiding inside 190–year–old fossils.
Macrini, an assistant professor of biological sciences at St. Mary’s University since 2009, brings to his classroom many unique perspectives, including the one of a ground–breaking paleontologist. Macrini’s research took advantage of relatively new advances in technology—in particular, the use of computed tomography (CT) technology similar to medical scanners, which for the first time allowed scientists to reconstruct 190 million–year–old fossils from China. Instead of cutting open and destroying these rare fossils, CT technology gave Macrini a glimpse—literally—in the brains of early mammals and clues to the secrets of the earliest brain development. His research—which was published in the prestigious journal Science—found that the main factor is mammals’ developing large brains was an improved sense of smell.
“This is the most comprehensive study yet undertaken using computed tomography to study the evolution of mammalian skulls,” said Macrini. “And it’s exciting to see these new insights emerging from years of intense labor.”
While Science article has brought Macrini and his colleagues’ international attention for their pioneering research, it’s not what Macrini does on a daily basis at St. Mary’s. In addition to the biology classes he teaches, Macrini also leads a group of St. Mary’s students in some groundbreaking research in another field altogether: looking for causes of the pain caused by osteoarthritis. His work looks involves baboons at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, attempting to learn more about what can be done to ease the pain experienced by humans with osteoarthritis. Like so many St. Mary’s professors, Macrini involves talented undergraduate students in research efforts, giving them valuable experience for dental or medical school, or graduate programs.
“I like the direction that my current research on osteoarthritis is going. It is going to help a lot of people if we are able to learn more about this disease and help them. And that’s important to me because it is within the mission of the University as well.”
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