Kiersten Formoso

I am a vertebrate paleontologist and functional morphologist studying the land to sea evolutionary transition-- where land vertebrates evolved to go back into aquatic environments. This includes living groups like whales, seals, manatees, and numerous extinct groups like mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and ichthyosaurs. My methods include comparative anatomy and biomechanics, and I have a broad anatomy knowledge-set in both reptiles and mammals.

I am a member of the USC Paleosciences Research Consortium, comprised of 28 researchers and 25 graduate students across the Keck School of Medicine, Dornsife College of Arts and Sciences, and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.