Morgan Churchill works on land-to-sea transition in mammals, with a specific focus on whales and seals. This research incorporates a variety of methods, ranging from morphometric approaches to the study of anatomical variation to stable isotope analysis to infer the diets of extinct organisms.
Churchill recently completed his Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Wyoming. Prior to this, he completed a master’s degree in biology at San Diego State University and a bachelor’s degree in zoology at Michigan State University
Recent Projects/Research
- Evolution of skull shape in whales and dolphins
- Evolution of ultrasonic hearing in dolphins
- Phylogeny and evolution of seals, sea lions, and walruses
Publications
- Churchill, M., Martinez, M.R, Muizon, C., Mnieckowski, J. and Geisler, J.H. 2016. The origins of high frequency hearing in whales. Current Biology. 26:2144-2149.
- Boessenecker, R.W., and Churchill, M. 2016. A late Pliocene elephant seal (Phocidae: Miroungini) from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology. DOI:10.1080/00288306.2016.1199437.
- Churchill, M. and Boessenecker, R.W. 2016. Taxonomy and biogeography of the Pleistocene New Zealand sea lion Neophoca palatina (Carnivora: Otariidae) Journal of Paleontology. 90:375-388.
- Churchill, M. and Clementz, M.T. 2016. The evolution of aquatic feeding in seals: Insights from Enaliarctos (Carnivora: Pinnipedimorpha), the oldest known seal. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 29:319-34.Publication 5
- Boessenecker, R.W. and Churchill, M. 2015. The oldest known fur seal (Mammalia: Carnivora). Biology Letters. 11:20140835.
Courses Taught at New York Tech
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Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine.
Professional Honors & Awards
- 2016 American Association of Anatomists Young Anatomist Award
- 2013 NSF East Asian Pacific Rim Summer Institute Fellowship (New Zealand)