B.S., Montana State University (Biology, with Honors), 1999
M.S., San Diego State University (Evolutionary Biology), 2004
Research Statement:
I am interested in the evolution and development of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises). Cetaceans have a unique hand with as many as 13 bones per finger (hyperphalangy), and are the only mammals to have this morphology. My dissertation research explores the developmental mechanisms that create these additional finger bones. The dissertation also integrates anatomical, functional, and developmental techniques to investigate the evolutionary history of hyperphalangy.
This research is done in the developmental and paleontological laboratory of Dr. Hans Thewissen (http://www.neoucom.edu/DEPTS/ANAT/Thewissen/). As a graduate student working in Dr. Thewissen’s lab, I also collect fossils in the Eocene rocks of India. By combining evidence from fossils with results from developmental experiments, our lab is able to hypothesize how and when major morphological changes, like hyperphalangy, evolved.
Published Articles:
Cooper, L.N. and J.G.M. Thewissen. In press. Indohyus and the origin of whales. 2010 Yearbook of Science and Technology.
Cooper L.N., J.G.M. Thewissen, S.T. Hussain. In press. New Early-Middle Eocene archaeocetes (Pakicetidae and Remingtonocetidae: Cetacea) from the Kuldana Formation of Northern Pakistan. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Thewissen J.G.M., Cooper, L.N., George, C., and Bajpai, S. In press. From land to water: the origin of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Evolution: Education and Outreach.
Thewissen J.G.M., Cooper L.N., Clementz M., Bajpai S., Tiwari B.N. 2009. Thewissen et al. reply. Nature 458, E5 (on-line only doi:10.1038/nature07775)
Cooper L.N., S.D. Dawson. 2009. The trouble with flippers: a report on the prevalence of digital anomalies in Cetacea. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 155(3): 722-735.
Cooper L.N. 2009. Forelimb anatomy. In: WF Perrin, B Würsig, J.G.M. Thewissen (Eds). pp. 449-452. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, 2nd Ed. San Diego: Academic Press (Elsevier).
Cooper L.N., A. Lee, M.L. Taper, J.R. Horner. 2008. Rapid growth of the hadrosaur Hypacrosaurus reflects direct and indirect effects of predation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 275: 2609-2615.
Cooper L.N., N. Sedano, S. Johannson, B. May, J. Brown, C.M. Holliday, and F.E. Fish. 2008. Hydrodynamic performance of the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) flipper. Journal of Experimental Biology 211: 1859-1867.
Thewissen J.G.M., Cooper L.N., Clementz M., Bajpai S., Tiwari B.N. 2007. Whales originated from aquatic artiodactyls: the Eocene raoellids from India. Nature 450:1190-1194.
Cooper L.N., A. Berta, S.D. Dawson, J.S. Reidenberg. 2007. Evolution of hyperphalangy and digit reduction in the cetacean manus. Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology 209(6):654-672.
Cooper L.N., S.D. Dawson, J.S. Reidenberg, A. Berta. 2007. Neuromuscular anatomy and evolution of the cetacean forelimb. Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology 209(9): 1121-1137.
Articles In Review:
Mellor L., L.N. Cooper, J. Torres, R.L. Brownell, Jr. Paedomorphic ossification in porpoises with an emphasis on the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). Aquatic Mammals.
Cooper L.N., Armfield, B.A., Thewissen, J.G.M. Fins and limbs: patterns of morphological variation during development. In Hallgrímsson, B. and Hall, B.K. (Eds.) Epigenetics: Linking Genotype and Phenotype in Development and Evolution.
Whiso, K., Tiwari, B.N., Bajpai, S., Cooper, L.N., and Thewissen, J.G.M. A fossil mammal from marine Eocene strata (Jaintia Group) of Mikir Hills, Assam, Northeastern India. Journal of the Paleontological Society of India.
Abstracts:
Cooper, L.N., and J.G.M. Thewissen (2009) The role of FGF-8 in the origin of interdigital webbing in cetaceans. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Boston, Massachusetts.
Lee, A., L.N. Cooper, M.L. Taper, and J.R. Horner (2008) Rapid growth of the hadrosaur Hypacrosaurus reflects direct and indirect effects of predation. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 (Suppl. to 3): 104A.
Cooper, L.N., M. Clementz, J.G.M. Thewissen, S. Bajpai, and B.N. Tiwari (2008) Aquatic lifestyles in Eocene raoellid artiodactyls and anthracobunid tethytheres. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 (Suppl. to 3): 66A.
Thewissen, J.G.M., B. Armfield, L.N. Cooper, H.H.A. Oelschläger, M.K. Richardson (2008) Evolutionary aspects of cetacean development. Fifth Conference on Secondary Adaptation of Tetrapods to Life in Water. National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan. p. 75.
Cooper, L.N., N. Sedano, S. Johansson, B. May, J.D. Brown, C. Holliday, F.E. Fish (2008) Hydrodynamic performance of the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) flipper. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Antonio, Texas.
Cooper, L.N., J.G.M. Thewissen (2007) Heterochrony in gene expression of dolphins. International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology 8, Paris, France. Journal of Morphology 268(12):1062.
Cooper, L.N., J.G.M. Thewissen. (2006) Heterochrony in gene expression in Eocene and Oligocene cetaceans. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(Supplement to 3):52A.
Thewissen, J.G.M., L.N. Cooper. (2006) Developmental constraints on evolution: development of the cetacean body plan. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(Supplement to 3): 131A.
Cooper, L.N., A. Berta. (2005) Evolution of the cetacean manus: patterns of reduction, hyperphalangy, and polydactyly. Evolution of Aquatic Tetrapods in Akron, OH. Cranbrook Institute of Science, Misc. Pubs. 1:19.
Cooper, L.N., A. Berta, T. Demere. (2004) Evolution of the baleen whale forelimb. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Cooper, L.N., A. Berta, and T. Demere. (2002) From Dorudon to finbacks: evolution of the mysticete forelimb. In R.E. Fordyce and M. Walker (eds.), Secondary Adaptation to Life in Water. Department of Geology, University of Otago, New Zealand. Dec. 9-13.
Cooper, L.N., J.R. Horner. (1999) Growth rate of Hypacrosaurus stebingeri as hypothesized from lines of arrested growth and whole femoral circumference. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 19(Supplement to 3):39A.
