James V Proffitt

My research focuses on vertebrate evolutionary morphology and systematics, particularly in the modern avian clade. More specifically, I am interested in the patterns of morphological and ecological disparity in Neornithine birds, and how fossils can inform our understanding of the processes that generated this disparity. Secondarily, I have a strong interest in locomotor biomechanics and physiology of extant species of birds. I am also interested in comparative phylogenetic methods and their utility in resolving modern avian relationships, especially with regard to conflict between morphological and molecular datasets.