Julia A Clarke
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Chair in Geobiology (Holder)
Peter T. Flawn Centennial Chair in Geology (Fellow)
Mailcode: C1100
Julia Clarke is John A. Wilson Professor in Vertebrate Paleontology in the Jackson School of Geosciences and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. Her research focuses on using phylogenetic methods and diverse data types to gain insight into the evolution of birds, avian flight and the co-option of the flight stroke for underwater diving. She is particularly interested in understanding shared patterns and potential causal factors in the evolution of living bird lineages. Recently, her work is focused on unravelling the origin and evolution of the avian vocal organ.
The Clarke Lab seeks new data to inform how avian diversity and distributions have changed across their deep histories. International collaborations and fieldwork (e.g., in Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Antarctica, Mongolia and China) provide new fossil data to approach these questions.
Areas of Expertise
Evolution of anatomical novelty, vertebrate paleontology, systematic biology, avian vocalization and the evolution of flight, fossil birds. Dinosaurs.
Research Locations
Current Research Programs & Projects
Wings to Flippers - Phylogenetics, character acquisition, and feather biomechanics in the evolution of wing-propelled diving
Early ornithurine bird evolution
Evolution of flight
Fellow (FRSB) - Royal Society of Biology (2018)
Elective Member, an honorary membership category that recognizes contributions to ornithology - American Ornithological Society (2017)
Humboldt Research Award - Humboldt Foundation (2016)
Provost's Teaching Fellow - The University of Texas (2016)
Outstanding Research Award - Jackson School of Geoscience (2013)
Knebel Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award - Jackson School of Geosciences (2012)
Gigapan Science Outreach Fellow - Fine Foundation/NASA/Carnegie Mellon Robotics (2010)
Outstanding Faculty Member Engaged in Extension Award - North Carolina State University (2008)
NSF Research Highlights - OISE Directorates (2007)
G.G. Simpson Award - Yale University (2006)
Argentine Fulbright Commission, 50th anniversary volume, distinguished alumna (2006)
NSF Research Highlights - OPP Directorates (2005)
Sigma Xi - Full Associate Member - Brown University (2004)
Orville Prize-best dissertation in the Earth Sciences - Yale University (2001)
G.G. Simpson Award - Yale University (2001)
Hutchinson Prize Fellowship for Biospheric Studies - Yale Institute (2000)
Estwing Hammer Prize for outstanding research in Geology - Yale University (2000)
Henry Gardiner Ferguson Fellowship in Geology - Yale University (1999)
Graduate Student Fellowship - National Science Foundation (1997 - 2000)
Arnold Prize Fellowship for undergraduate achievement and an original research project ($15,000; declined to accept Fulbright Grant). - Brown University (1995)
Sigma Xi - Brown University (1995)
Phi Beta Kappa - Brown University (1994)
Associate Editor, Science Advances, Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B, Evolution (2018)
Associate Editor, Paleobiology (2013)
Co-Editor in Chief, Journal of Anatomy (2012 - 2018)
Editor in Vertebrate Morphology, Zoologischer Anzeiger (2011 - 2012)
Executive Committee, Member-At-Large, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2008 - 2011)
Operations Committee, Member-At-Large, National Center for Evolutionary Synthesis (NESCent.org) (2007 - 2008)
Session moderator, Meetings of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2006 - 2007)
Editor in Vertebrate Morphology and Paleontology, Journal of Anatomy (2005 - 2011)
Chair, Predoctoral Fellowship Committee, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2004 - 2006)
Sigma Xi Grants, Aid of Research, Committee (2004)
Governing Council, Member-At-Large, International Society of Phylogenetic Nomenclature (2004 - 2006)
Predoctoral Fellowship Committee, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2003 - 2008)
Co-convener, "Missing Data- Practical Problems and Theoretical Issues" Symposium, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2000)
Organizing committee member and moderator, "New Perspectives on the Origin and Early Evolution of Birds: an International Symposium in Honor of John H. Ostrom,", Yale Peabody Museum and Yale University Department of Geology and Geophysics (1999)
NSF Panelist: Systematics (BIO),
NSF Referee: Systematics (BIO), Paleobiology (EAR), and Polar Programs (OPP),
NERC Referee, UK: Fellows Program,
National Geographic Society, Exploration Fund Referee,
One current postdocs, four graduate students and an array of undergraduate researchers are focused on broad questions concerning evolutionary morphology and the deep time diversification of birds.
Right now we are focused on the evolution of early bird lineages, feathering and wing morphology, wing propelled diving and the origin of bird song. Some student projects are focused on other archosaur lineages and other character systems such as the evolution of armor.
Postdocs
Xia Wang, 2013 - 2015, University of Jinan
Assistant Professor
Daniel Ksepka, 2007 - 2009, Columbia University, (PhD) now Postdoctoral Associate, NESCENT
Chad Eliason
Sterling Nesbitt
Graduate Students
Christopher Torres, Ph.D.
(Co-supervisor)
Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
Sarah Davis, Ph.D., 2022
(Supervisor)
Jackson School of Geosciences
Grace Musser, Ph.D., 2022
(Supervisor)
Jackson School of Geosciences
Jasmine Nelson, M.S., 2021
(Supervisor)
Department of Geosciences, UT Austin
Lauren English, Ph.D., 2018
(Supervisor)
Department of Geosciences, UT Austin
James Proffitt, Ph.D., 2018
(Supervisor)
Department of Geosciences, UT Austin
Zhiheng Li, Ph.D., 2015
(Supervisor)
Department of Geosciences, UT Austin
Katherine Browne, M.S., 2014
(Supervisor)
Department of Geosciences, UT Austin
A.J. DeBee, Ph.D., 2012
(Supervisor)
Department of Geosciences, UT Austin
Drew Eddy, M.S., 2008
(Supervisor)
NCSU
"New information on the skull of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis and the phylogenetic relationships of the Allosauroidea"
Clint Boyd, Ph.D., 2005
(Supervisor)
"Taxonomic revision of the North American neorithischia, implications for ornithischian phylogeny"
Adam Smith, Ph.D., 2001
(Supervisor)
"Phylogeny and evolution of extinct and extant Alcidae (Aves, Charadriiformes)"
Undergraduate Students
There are always about 5 undergraduate doing reseach in the lab. They are typically listed on my CV. I started an undergraduate "research fair" in paleontology where we link up faculty, graduate students and undergraduate collaborators across the program.
See CV,
| Year | Semester | Course | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Fall | GEO 382E | Scientific Research Design |
| 2023 | Fall | GEO 322E | Scientific Research Design |
| 2022 | Fall | GEO 322E | Scientific Research Design |
| 2022 | Fall | GEO 382E | Scientific Research Design |
| 2021 | Fall | GEO 405 | Life Through Time |
| 2021 | Spring | GEO 371T | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn-Wb |
| 2021 | Spring | GEO 391 | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn-Wb |
| 2020 | Spring | GEO 371T | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn |
| 2020 | Spring | GEO 391 | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn |
| 2019 | Fall | GEO 405 | Life Through Time |
| 2019 | Spring | GEO 371T | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn |
| 2019 | Spring | GEO 391 | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn |
| 2018 | Fall | GEO 405 | Life Through Time |
| 2018 | Spring | GEO 291 | Asian Monsoon |
| 2018 | Spring | GEO 391 | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn |
| 2018 | Spring | GEO 371T | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn |
| 2017 | Fall | GEO 405 | Life Through Time |
| 2017 | Fall | GEO 394 | Rsch In Geological Sciences |
| 2017 | Spring | GEO 371T | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn |
| 2017 | Spring | GEO 391 | Rsrch Dsgn/Data Anly/Visltn |
| 2016 | Fall | GEO 405 | Life Through Time |
| 2016 | Spring | GEO 371T | Rsch Mthd/Anly/Vis Paleobio |
| 2016 | Spring | GEO 391 | Rsch Mthd/Anly/Vis Paleobio |
| 2014 | Fall | GEO 394 | Rsch In Systematic Paleontol |
| 2014 | Fall | GEO 405 | Life Through Time |
| 2014 | Fall | GEO 371C | Avian Anatomy |
| 2014 | Fall | GEO 391 | Avian Anatomy |
| 2014 | Spring | GEO 394 | Rsch In Systematic Paleontol |