Nicholas R. Geist
Associate Professor of Biology
Ph.D. (Zoology) Oregon State University, 1999
Voicemail: (707) 664-3056
Email: nick.geist@sonoma.edu
Office: Darwin 241
Research Interests:
Functional Morphology of Vertebrates, Avian Evolution, Paleobiology and Evolution of Archosaurs.
Research Program:
I have broad interests in the evolution of physiological and morphological adaptations in vertebrates. In recent years, investigations with my colleagues at Oregon State University, College of Charleston, and Cal State Stanislaus have focused on musculoskeletal adaptations associated with lung ventilation in theropod (meat-eating) dinosaurs and pterosaurs. Recent evidence from theropod and pterosaur fossils showing exceptional skeletal and soft-tissue preservation indicates that these archosaurs probably ventilated their lungs with a crocodile-like diaphragm, an adaptation that may help explain their evolutionary success. Another focus of my research has been to demonstrate the significance of respiratory turbinates (complex, epithelially lined structures in the nasal passages of endothermic vertebrates) in the water and energy balance of living birds. Other current studies focus on the origin of unique adaptations of reproductive physiology and behavior correlated with the explosive Middle-Late Triassic adaptive radiation of archosaurs.
Representative Publications:
Jones, T. D. and Geist, N. R. In press. Reproductive Biology of Dinosaurs. In The Complete Dinosaur, 2nd ed., edited by. J. Farlow, M. K. Brett-Surman and T. Holtz, Indiana University Press.
Ruben, J. A., Jones, T. D., Geist, N. R. 2003. Respiratory and Reproductive Paleophysiology of Dinosaurs and Early Birds. Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 76:141-161.
Geist, N. R. 2000. Respiratory Turbinate Function in Birds. Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 73:581-589.
Geist, N. R. and Feduccia, A. 2000. Gravity-defying behaviors: Identifying models for protoaves . American Zoologist 40:664-675.
Jones, T. D., Ruben, J. A., Martin, L. D., Kurochkin, E., Feduccia, A., Maderson, P., Hillenius, W. J., Geist, N. R. 2000. Nonavian feathers in a late Triassic archosaur. Science 288:2202-2205.
Ruben, J. A., DalSasso, C., Geist, N. R., Hillenius, W. J., Jones, T. D., Signore, M. 1999. New evidence for pulmonary function and metabolic physiology of theropod dinosaurs. Science 283:514-516.
Course Offerings:
Vertebrate Evolutionary Morphology, Human Physiology, Macroevolution, Genetics, Evolution & Ecology, Diversity, Structure, and Function, Biology of the Dinosaurs.