Anne Kort

I am a paleontologist investigating the interactions between environmental change and the evolution of locomotor adaptations in mammals. In a traditional model of natural selection, when the environment changes, species unfit for the new conditions go extinct, while the lucky few with the right adaptations survive. However, a population or whole species could instead migrate to follow their preferred environment as the landscape slowly changes. My research asks how mammals with different locomotor adaptations, whether for walking, running, swimming, or climbing, responded to environmental changes at different spatial and temporal scales by either moving, adapting, or going extinct.

I primarily focus on the Paleogene fossil record of western North America, encompassing environmental transition from dense forest in a hothouse climate to cooler, more seasonal climates and more open vegetation. I use 3D scans of fossils to measure changes in locomotor adaptations through time. I assess how these changes coincide with environmental changes known from proxies like stable isotopes established by the long history of research in these areas. I am also working to create a computational model that combines existing landscape evolution models with population models to simulate locomotor evolution through deep time.

Other:

I have a YouTube channel to share tutorials on how to work with the 3D scans of fossils that anyone can access online. These video tutorials are designed to introduce paleontology researchers, educators, and enthusiasts to the world of 3D data. I focus on laying the groundwork with videos on different scan methods, data types, and techniques and then cover specific uses of free, open source software.

https://www.youtube.com/@VirtPaleo