Center for Anatomical Sciences

Office Phone:314-977-8048
Schwitalla Hall/School of Med
Schwitalla Hall, M405

Honors and Awards:
NIH institutional NRSA post-doctoral trainee (5T32HD07414-16), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Kennedy Krieger Institute, 2007-2008

Mildred Trotter Prize, American Association of Physical Anthropologists, 2006

Professional Memberships:
American Association of Anatomists, 2004
American Association of Physical Anthropologists, 2000

Professional Service:
Scientific Program Committee, American Association of Physical Anthropologists, 2008

Symposium Organizer, An Evolutionary Perspective on Human Anatomy, American Association of Anatomists, Experimental Biology 2008

Advisory Committee for Young Anatomists (Chair, 2008-2010; Member, 2006-2008), American Association of Anatomists

Membership Committee, American Association of Anatomists, 2008-2010

Research

I am interested in the evolution of primates, and how we know what we know about our own evolutionary history. My research focuses on understanding feeding and locomotion in mammals by taking a biomechanical and functional approach to understanding bone, tooth and muscle morphology. I am interested in how bone and muscle structure adapts to in vivo loading environments, how these structures interact, and how we can use this information to understand and interpret the behavior of our extinct relatives. 

Publications

Peer-reviewed Publications:
Organ JM, Teaford MF, Taylor AB. In press. Functional correlates of fiber architecture of the lateral caudal musculature in prehensile and nonprehensile tails of the Platyrrhini (Primates) and Procyonidae (Carnivora). Anatomical Record.

Organ JM, Ward CV. 2006. Contours of the hominoid lateral tibial condyle with implications for Australopithecus. Journal of Human Evolution 51:113-127.

Organ JM, Ruff CB, Teaford MF, Nisbett RA. 2006. Do mandibular cross-sectional properties and dental microwear give similar dietary signals? American Journal of Physical Anthropology 130:501-507.

Organ JM, Teaford MF, Larsen CS. 2005. Dietary inferences from dental occlusal microwear at Mission San Luis de Apalachee. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 128:801-811.