PhD candidate
Corinne Mensforth
I’m studying a Devonian-aged stem-tetrapod fish that lived in the water but had limb bones within its fins. I’m working with a brand new neutron beam scan dataset of the fossil to build a virtual 3D model of its anatomy.
I’m also studying some new stem-tetrapod fish fossils that were recently discovered and scanned. I’m building virtual 3D models of their anatomy, and I’ll determine whether they’re known to science or whether they’re brand new species. This will help to broaden our understanding of the vertebrate water-to-land transition.
I’m interested in learning about Devonian stem-tetrapod fish brains but the only information we currently have is their braincase fossils. I’m studying the relationship between the brains and braincases of some living vertebrates like lungfish, salamanders, frogs and lizards to better understand what the brains of stem-tetrapod fishes may have looked like.
I studied for my BSc at Flinders University and completed my Honours year in the Lizard Lab supervised by Prof. Mike Bull in 2005. I’m currently studying for my PhD with supervisors Prof. John Long, Dr. Alice Clement and Prof. Mike Lee.