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Curator Vertebrates, Te Papa Tongarewa

I am a curator at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, where I am primarily in charge of the marine mammal collection. In addition, I am an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago (Dunexin, NZ).

My main research interests are the biology and evolution of marine mammals, especially cetaceans (whales and dolphins). I am particularly fond of baleen whales - the largest animals that ever lived. My previous work has focused on reconstructing the baleen whale family tree, the environmental and biological drivers behind cetacean evolution, marine mammal feeding, swimming, and the description of new species. Together with Olivier Lambert and Mark Uhen, I have also written a textbook on whale and dolphin evolution: "Cetacean Paleobiology", published by Wiley Blackwell.

Experience

  • 2020–present
    Curator Vertebrates, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington, NZ)
  • 2019–2019
    DECRA Fellow, Monash University and Museums Victoria (Melbourne, Australia)
  • 2018–2019
    FNRS Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Liège and RBINS (Belgium)
  • 2015–2018
    Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellow, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS, Brussels)
  • 2015–2017
    Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellow, Monash University and Museums Victoria (Melbourne, Australia)
  • 2013–2015
    JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, National Museum of Nature and Science (Tsukuba/ Tokyo, Japan)

Education

  • 2012 
    University of Otago, PhD
  • 2009 
    University of Bristol, MSci