B.A., Washington University in St. Louis, 1997
M.S., The University of Texas at Austin, 2000
Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, 2006

Thomas E. Macrini, Ph.D., received his bachelor's in biology, and his master's and doctorate in geological sciences with an emphasis in vertebrate paleontology. He completed two postdoctoral fellowships at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, NY. Macrini teaches General Biology I and II, Forensic Osteology, Comparative Anatomy, and Foundations of Reflections: Nature.

Macrini's research focuses on the comparative cranial anatomy of fossil and extant mammals, particularly the internal cranial cavities and associated structures. His studies involve the endocranial and nasal cavities and the bony labyrinth of the ear. Macrini utilizes high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT) to non-destructively study the internal cranial osteology of fossil and extant mammalian skulls to document the anatomy of internal cranial cavities, search for new phylogenetic characters, and trace the evolution of sensory structures in the fossil record.

He also is collaborating with Dr. Lorena M. Havill of the Department of Genetics at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute on projects aimed at developing baboons (Papio hamadryas ssp.) as a non-human primate model for studying the genetics, etiology, and prevention of osteoarthritis (OA) in humans. Macrini is currently looking for undergraduate students interested in vertebrate anatomy and systematics for research collaborations.

Selected Publications

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.

Macrini, T. E. 2012. Comparative morphology of the internal nasal skeleton of adult marsupials based on X-ray computed tomography. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 365:1-91.