Susannah Thorpe – Network — University of Birmingham

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Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

Susannah Thorpe studies the association between animal form, function and performance, through lab and zoo-based studies of functional morphology and biomechanics, combined with field studies of the performance of animals in their natural habitat.

The study of functional morphology and biomechanics allows us to ask how animal structures work; whether observed structures are superior to possible alternatives for given behaviours and how different structures can serve the same mechanical function. It shows how particular designs have been favoured by natural selection because they work better than the alternatives, or because they are particularly economical of energy or materials. Ecomorphology builds on this approach by relating the structures of different animals to aspects of their environment, such as resource availability. In Dr Thorpe’s laboratory work is taking place in the broad field of ecomorphology, but it specialises in adaptations of the locomotor system. Specific themes in Dr Thorpe’s lab at present are the evolution of human bipedalism; how animals (including humans) interact with complex habitats; and the cognitive demands of complex locomotion.

Research activity per year

Jackie Chappell

Biosciences - Associate Professor in Animal Behavior

Person: Academic

12 shared research output

Alice Roberts

Vice-Chancellor's Office - Professor of the Public Engagement in Science

Person: Academic

1 shared research output

Frank F. Eves

Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences - Honorary Senior Research Fellow

Person: Honorary

1 shared research output

Alan Wing

Psychology - Professor of Human Movement
The Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH)

Person: Academic

1 shared research output

Julia Myatt

Biosciences - Professor in Collaborative Education
Vice-Chancellor's Office - Academic Director, Sustainability Education

Person: Academic

1 shared research output

Sarah Beck

Psychology - Professor of Cognitive Development
The Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour

Person: Academic

1 shared research output

Ian Apperly

Psychology - Professor of Cognition and Development

Person: Academic

1 shared research output

RH Crompton

External person

20 shared research output

Robin Huw Crompton

University of Liverpool

External person

7 shared research output

EE Vereecke

KU Leuven

External person

6 shared research output

JP Myatt

External person

6 shared research output

MM Günther

External person

5 shared research output

K Isler

External person

5 shared research output

R Savage

External person

5 shared research output

K D'Aout

Centre for Research and Conservation; Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp; Antwerp Belgium

External person

3 shared research output

William I Sellers

University of Manchester

External person

3 shared research output

RC Payne

External person

3 shared research output

RM Alexander

External person

2 shared research output

Adam van Casteren

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

External person

2 shared research output

A van Casteren

External person

2 shared research output

halsey Lewis

Roehampton Univ

External person

2 shared research output

Y Li

External person

2 shared research output

WJ Wang

External person

2 shared research output

N Schilling

Friedrich Schiller University of Jena

External person

2 shared research output

A. Roland Ennos

External person

2 shared research output

K D'Août

External person

2 shared research output

Mark E Harrison

Mount Vernon Hospital

External person

1 shared research output

L C Bainbridge

External person

1 shared research output

C Vaughan

External person

1 shared research output

JA Green

External person

1 shared research output

Juliet M. Mcclymont

External person

1 shared research output

William Sellers

External person

1 shared research output

TC Carey

External person

1 shared research output

Peter Aerts

External person

1 shared research output

Samuel Coward

External person

1 shared research output

David Frayer

External person

1 shared research output

WI Sellers

External person

1 shared research output

B. Hesse

Friedrich Schiller University of Jena

External person

1 shared research output

R M Alexander

External person

1 shared research output

Roscoe Stanyon

External person

1 shared research output

R Payne

External person

1 shared research output

RC Payne-Davis

External person

1 shared research output

Maria A. Van Noordwijk

External person

1 shared research output

J Lynch

External person

1 shared research output

SA Wich

External person

1 shared research output

R Holder

External person

1 shared research output

Sam Coward

University of Birmingham

External person

1 shared research output

Gilles Berillon

External person

1 shared research output

S Badhe

External person

1 shared research output

M. S. Fischer

Friedrich Schiller University of Jena

External person

1 shared research output

Robin Crompton

External person

1 shared research output

A Chamberlain

External person

1 shared research output

leif johannsen

External person

1 shared research output

M O'Malley

External person

1 shared research output

HC Morrogh-Bernard

External person

1 shared research output

R F Ker

External person

1 shared research output

Roland Ennops

External person

1 shared research output

C O'Connor

External person

1 shared research output

ML Blanchard

External person

1 shared research output

J. Neufuss

Department of Human Evolution; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany

External person

1 shared research output

Tatang Mitra Setia

External person

1 shared research output

R McNeill Alexander

External person

1 shared research output

AR Ennos

External person

1 shared research output