Dr. Michael Pittman SFHEA – Principal investigator
I’m a multi-disciplinary, integrative dinosaur palaeobiologist at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Previously I was a Research Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean at The University of Hong Kong. I earned a BSc in geology from UCL in 2006 before progressing to an MSc in geoscience (palaeobiology) in 2007. I pursued a PhD on ‘the evolution and biomechanics of dinosaurian tails’ with Profs. Paul Upchurch and John R Hutchinson (RVC) completing in 2012.
My primary research interest is the biology and evolution of dinosaurs, particularly the exciting dinosaur-bird transition and the origin of flight. My research has filled significant gaps in our understanding of early flight development and has uncovered pertinent voids that I actively pursue and will continue to investigate in the longer term. I continue to support my work with integrated study approaches involving modern anatomical imaging, chemical analysis, biomechanical modelling, developmental biology and phylogenetic reconstruction. Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence (LSF) is a laser-based imaging technique that I co-developed to reveal other hidden anatomy preserved in fossils.
I have produced 60+ peer-reviewed publications including the edited volume Pennaraptoran Theropod Dinosaurs: Past Progress and New Frontiers and achieved 1400+ citations and a h-index score of 21. I have published research in journals such as PNAS (3), Systematic Biology, Biological Reviews (3), Nature Ecology & Evolution, Science Bulletin, Nature Communications (3) and Current Biology (2). My work has continuously received international media coverage including from the BBC and National Geographic.
I support my work through active collaborations with a range of leading international experts. These include Prof. Xu Xing (IVPP, Beijing), Prof. Xiaoli Wang (Linyi University, Linyi) and Prof. Xiaoting Zheng (Tianyu Museum, Pingyi). My fieldwork in the Gobi Desert led to the discovery of the dromaeosaurid Linheraptor and the alvarezsaurid Linhenykus. I also investigate Gondwanan dinosaur ecosystems in Patagonia, Argentina with Dr. Diego Pol (Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Argentina). I am a Research Associate of the Department of Earth Sciences, UCL (UK), the Foundation for Scientific Advancement (USA), Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio (Argentina) and Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (Argentina) and an Honorary Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong (HK).
I have a strong teaching background recognised by an HE Advance Fellowship (FHEA) and Senior Fellowship (SFHEA). This draws on experience teaching undergraduate to PhD level courses and the award-winning MOOC Dinosaur Ecosystems as well as leadership and management experience in past roles such as Assistant Dean for E-Learning.
Email: mpittman@cuhk.edu.hk
Telephone: (+852) 5625 5019
Location: Room 503-503C (office) and Room 507D (lab), Mong Man Wai Building (MMW), School of Life Sciences, CUHK
Web: ResearchGate/Google Scholar/ORCiD/Twitter – @Palaeopittman/Dinosaur Ecosystems MOOC
Dr. Csaba Hefler – Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Csaba Hefler received his PhD on aerodynamics from Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST). He completed his first postdoc at HKUST where he studied unsteady aerodynamics in natural flight; focusing on dragonfly forewing-hindwing interactions. He has also contributed to research into flexible fin hydrodynamics for bioinspired propulsion systems and co-authored the recently published book Distinct Aerodynamics of Insect-Scale Flight (Cambridge University Press). He is a passionate wilderness explorer and photographer. Dr. Hefler is currently investigating early flight performance in feathered dinosaurs.
Email: csabahefler@cuhk.edu.hk
Location: MMW 507D, CUHK
Web: ResearchGate / Google Scholar
Dr. Nadia Haidr – Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Nadia Haidr received her PhD from the La Plata National University, Argentina. Her thesis covered ecomorphological aspects of penguin evolution. Her expertise is in the study of modern and fossil penguins and 2D and 3D geometric morphometrics. She also enjoys fieldwork, and has been participating since 2017 in seabird projects in Antarctica. She joins us from Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (UEL FML-CONICET), Argentina. Dr. Haidr is currently uncovering theropod wing development and evolution.
Email: nadiahaidr@cuhk.edu.hk
Location: MMW 507D, CUHK
Web: ResearchGate / Google Scholar
Dr. Mattia Baiano – Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Mattia Baiano received his PhD on abelisaurid theropod phylogeny, biology and evolution from Universidad Nacional del Comahue (Bariloche, Argentina). He continues his abelisaurid research as a Postdoctoral Researcher most recently in Argentina (CONICET) and now at CUHK. He is an avid field palaeontologist and has multiple ongoing field projects in Patagonia.
Email: mattiaantoniobaiano@cuhk.edu.hk
Location: MMW 503C, CUHK
Web: ResearchGate / Google Scholar
Matthieu Chotard – PhD Student
Matthieu received his Geology BSc from the University of Angers and his MSc in Paleontology, Heritage and Paleoenvironment from the universities of Angers and Rennes 1. His Master’s thesis was on 3D analysis of avian skeletal morphology from CT scans, with a focus on the passerine foot. It took place at the Department of Earth Sciences of Cambridge under the supervision of Dr. Daniel J. Field and is a part of Elizabeth M. Steell’s PhD research. For his PhD Matthieu is researching the ecology of feathered dinosaurs.
Email: matthieuchotard@link.cuhk.edu.hk
Location: MMW 503C, CUHK
Web: ResearchGate / Twitter
Maxime Grosmougin – PhD Student
Maxime received his Geosciences BSc from the University of Burgundy before moving to Sorbonne University and the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle of Paris for his MSc in Systematics, Evolution and Palaeontology. His Master’s thesis focused on geometric morphometrics and ancestral reconstructions of modern cricket elytra to explain an unusual evolutionary trend called harmonic hopping (calling song frequencies shifting from a harmonic to another between different sister groups), which he continued to work on as a volunteer researcher for a year. Finally able to study his dream group, Maxime’s PhD in on the wings of feathered dinosaurs.
Email: maxime.grosmougin@link.cuhk.edu.hk
Location: MMW 503C, CUHK
Web: ResearchGate / Twitter / LinkedIn
Current Lab Volunteers
Audrey Fan (CUHK); Valerian Jésus (remotely from France); Eduardo Josue (remotely from Puerto Rico); Ayassi Damoiseau (remotely from France)
Select Current Collaborations
We collaborate with a range of leading international experts from different fields. Here is a selection of current project collaborators (for full list of collaborations, see publication list):
Thomas G. Kaye (Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Arizona, USA; Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence (LSF) imaging; chemical analysis; actuopalaeontological experiments.
Prof. Xiaoli Wang (Linyi University, China) – feathered dinosaurs and flight origins: collaboration with Prof. Xiaoteng Zheng at the Tianyu Musuem in Shandong, China.
Prof. Xiaoting Zheng (Director of Shandong Tianyu Museum, China) – feathered dinosaurs and flight origins: collaboration with Prof. Xiaoli Wang.
Prof. Xing Xu (IVPP & Yunnan University, China) – feathered dinosaurs and flight origins; fieldwork in China; instructor of MOOC Dinosaur Ecosystems
Dr. T. Alexander Dececchi (Mount Marty College, Yanktown, USA) – feathered dinosaurs and flight origins
Dr. Michael B. Habib (USC, Los Angeles, USA) – feathered dinosaur and flight origins; pterosaur flight
Dr. Diego Pol (Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Trelew, Argentina) – fieldwork in Patagonia, Argentina; instructor of MOOC Dinosaur Ecosystems; Gondwanan dinosaur ecosystems.
Dr. Jen Bright (U of Hull, Hull, UK) – enantiornithine bird diet (co-supervisor of Case V. Miller)
Prof. Robert Dudley (UC Berkeley, USA) – dinosaur flight origins
Dr. Scott Hartman (palaeoartist, Madison, USA) – quantitative skeletal and body outline reconstructions, including palaeoartist for Dinosaur Ecosystems MOOC; feathered dinosaurs and flight origins
Dr. Julius T. Csotonyi (palaeoartist, Vancouver, Canada) – life reconstructions, including palaeoartist for Dinosaur Ecosystems MOOC
Prof. Pablo A. Goloboff (Fundación Miguel Lillo, Tucuman, Argentina) – Phylogenetic analysis and methods
Former Lab Members
Research Assistants & Postdocs: Athena Tse (Ohio State); Luke Barlow (Portsmouth); Pei Rui (Columbia)
PhD Students
Case Miller – supervised University of Hong Kong PhD student (2023; diet and ecology of enantiornithine birds; with Dr. J. Bright)
Luke Meade – co-supervised U of Birmingham PhD student (2023; functional morphology of oviraptorosaur jaws; with Dr. S. Lautenschlager; Prof. R. Butler)
Fion Waisum Ma – co-supervised U of Birmingham PhD student (2022; functional morphology of oviraptorosaur jaws; supervisors: Dr. S. Lautenschlager; Prof. R. Butler)
Arindam Roy – supervised University of Hong Kong PhD student (2021; amniote palaeocolour; with Prof. X Xing; Dr. J. Ali)
MSc and UG students (dissertations & volunteer work)
Ms. Jessie So (UG; University of Washington), Mr. Edison Tse (MSc and UG), Mr. Jefferson Hsieh (UG), Mr. Anyang Ding (UG), Ms. Crystal Wong (UG), Ms. Ariel Ng, Mr. Chan Fai Lo.