Laura Buck

Broadly, I am interested in what determines variation in skeletal shape. In my past research I have focused on skeletal plasticity in non-human primates (MPhil), the adaptive and neutral influences on hominin crania (PhD), and levels and patterns of climatic adaptation in humans and non-human primates (Postdoctoral fellowship at University of Cambridge, UK).

My current postdoctoral research employs a macaque model to investigate the morphological consequences of interbreeding between closely related primate taxa. My results will enable me to make important inferences about the effects of human interbreeding with extinct lineages (e.g., Neanderthals).

The methods I employ include computed tomography, 3D laser scanning, manipulation of digital data (e.g., segmentation and virtual measurement), geometric morphometric methods and traditional morphometrics.

I also continue to be involved in a number of collaborative projects more broadly related to late Pleistocene hominin evolution and ecology. These collaborations include research into Mid-Pleistocene hominin morphology, Neanderthal adaptation, and early African genetic diversity and involve colleagues from the University of Cambridge (UK), University of Tuebingen (Germany), Natural History Museum (UK), the Crick Institute (UK), Australian National University, University of Roehampton (UK) and others.

2H Young Hall 
University of California, Davis 
One Shields Avenue 
Davis , California 95616
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​Email: lbuck@ucdavis.edu