Faculty of Life Sciences Alumni Lecture: Past Lives

UCL Life Sciences alumni are invited to hear Dr Laura Porro, UCL Department of Cell & Developmental Biology and Centre for Integrative Anatomy, talk about her work applying cutting-edge technology to reconstruct skull shapes, and shed light on the lifestyles of extinct animals.

Laura is an evolutionary biomechanist investigating how the different forces have shaped the vertebrate skeleton over hundreds of million years. Using interdisciplinary methods, including high-resolution 3D imaging, experiments, and computer modelling, she is exploring how a diverse range of vertebrate skulls, both living and fossilised, are adapted for different environments, behaviours and diets.

Laura will detail her recent work exploring the evolution of skull form and function across two major evolutionary transitions: the conquest of the land by vertebrates nearly 400 million years ago and the rise of early dinosaurs to dominate life on land.

• Lecture followed by Q&A at 6:15 to 7 pm in JZ Young Lecture Theatre
• Drinks reception: 7 to 8 pm in the Haldane Hub