Christine Harper (she/her/hers)

My research focuses on studying the functional morphology and biomechanics of the human and nonhuman primate postcranial skeleton to elucidate the relationship between musculoskeletal morphology and known locomotor behaviors. These data are then employed to contextualize early hominins within extant variation and reconstruct aspects of their locomotor repertoire. I utilize a quantitative, data-driven approach leveraging techniques including three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (3D GM), including full bone high-density sliding semilandmark and weighted spherical harmonic analyses (SPHARM), whole-bone trabecular analyses, musculoskeletal modelling, and advanced multivariate statistics designed for big data. As a part of this quantitative framework, I also work toward the development and application of novel computer programs to address some of the difficulties surrounding the analysis of complex multi-dimensional data.