About Me

Education

• University of Zürich, Ph.D. Zoology
• University of Zürich, M.S. Biology
• University of Zürich, Second Propaedeutical Exam, Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology
• University of Neuchâtel, First Propaedeutical Exam, Natural SciencesSwiss Federal Matriculation Examination

Research Interests

My research program is firmly rooted in comparative anatomy as an experimental science that creates natural experiments to answer specific functional and evolutionary questions. At a basic level, it seeks to understand how complex systems can evolve further while remaining functional at all stages. My overarching working hypothesis posits that seemingly large changes during macroevolutionary processes are actually the result of relatively small changes that fundamentally affect the construction and, thus, the functioning of an organism. My research group is working on a variety of vertebrate model species from lampreys to sharks, and from alligators, birds, and mammals to human beings.

All our research projects are tied to our fundamental interest in the reconstruction of macroevolutionary changes as a result of individual variation and natural selection by synthesizing functional-morphological and behavioral-ecological data of extant organisms with paleoclimatological and geological data. An example is my long-term study of the feeding and drinking behavior, functional morphology, ecology, and evolutionary history of the Psittaciformes (i.e., cockatoos and parrots), which has also implications for the evolution of the Gondwanan avifauna in general.