Gen Morinaga, Postdoctoral Fellow

Functional morphology, macroevolution, phylogenetic comparative methods, herpetology

PhD., 2018, Clark University

Email: gen.morinaga@okstate.edu

Specific Interests

I am interested in the morphological diversity of life on Earth and how differently shaped bodies interact with their immediate environment to perform specific tasks. I am particularly interested in the patterns that arise between numerous distantly related taxa that lead to similarities or differences in morphology and function. My past work focused on the evolution of snake-like bodies and the effect such a body shape would have on locomotion. My current work focuses on the evolution of the anuran (frogs and toads) body plan as it adapted over evolutionary time to numerous habitat types.

Selected Publications

Bergmann, P.J., Mann, S.D.W., Morinaga, G., Freitas, E.S., Siler, C.D., n.d. Convergent Evolution of Elongate Forms in Craniates and of Locomotion in Elongate Squamate Reptiles. Integr Comp Biol. https://doi.org/10/ggvw38

Morinaga, G., Bergmann, P.J., 2020. Evolution of fossorial locomotion in the transition from tetrapod to snake-like in lizards. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287, 20200192. https://doi.org/10/ggn57x

Morinaga, G., Bergmann, P.J., 2019. Angles and waves: intervertebral joint angles and axial kinematics of limbed lizards, limbless lizards, and snakes. Zoology 134, 16–26. https://doi.org/10/gf2cjn

Bergmann, P.J., Morinaga, G., 2019. The convergent evolution of snake-like forms by divergent evolutionary pathways in squamate reptiles*. Evolution 73, 481–496. https://doi.org/10/gfkft3

Morinaga, G., Bergmann, P.J., 2017. Convergent body shapes have evolved via deterministic and historically contingent pathways in Lerista lizards. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 121, 858–875. https://doi.org/10/gbrm5t