Page 15 - RFCUNY Annual Report 2016

Chris Robinson

Professor, Biological Sciences
Bronx Community College

“There’s a lot we can learn about the past by using a model
from the present,” explains Professor Robinson. His three-
year, $49K NSF award Collaborative Research: Integrative
Investigation of the Evolution and Biomechanics of
Mandibular Form in Extant Great Apes and Australopithecus,
explores the differences between early hominin mandibular
bones (jaw bones) and their modern day counterparts to
better understand how their shape has changed over time.
“Jaw bones are one of the best-preserved fossil categories,”
states Robinson, “their shape often indicates diet, which
informs the behaviors and environment of early humans.”
Robinson is using a micro-CT scanner at the American
Museum of Natural History to build 3D images of the man-
dibular bones of modern day apes and humans. Meanwhile,
his colleagues are collecting similar images from the early
human genus, Australopithecus, to serve as a comparison.
“We hope to improve our understanding of evolutionary
history and where we came from by understanding how
our ancestors’ bodies change through time in response to
the environment.”

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