Investigadora associada. Paleoprimatology and Human Paleontology

Contact

Lab. Physical Anthropology, Dept. Zoology. Graduate School of Science

Kyoto University, Japan

Science Building #2. 3rd floor.

Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-Cho, Sakyo

Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)

Phone: +81 075-753-9094

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I am a paleoprimatologist and biological anthropologist interested in the evolution of the primate postcranium and the origin of the positional behaviors observed in living apes and humans. I have a background in biology and paleontology, and a set of technical skills that includes morphometry, 3D imaging, computer modeling, statistical analysis and engineering methods (i.e., finite element analysis). My current research seeks to identify the morphofunctional and biomechanical adaptations associated with the different orthograde locomotor types of extant hominoids and to reconstruct the evolution of their positional behaviors. I am particularly interested in the study of the fossil limb remains of the Eurosian and African Miocene apes by means of comparative anatomy, functional morphology and biomechanics. My thesis dissertation focused on the morphofunctional and biomechanical study of the hind limb bones of the Vallès-Penedès hominoids and it was supervised by Dr. Salvador Moyà-Solà and Dr. Sergio Almécija.

Additionally to my academic education, I have received specialized training through a series of courses focused mainly on biomechanics, computed-tomography scanning, and phylogenetic comparative methods.

From November 2017, I am a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at Kyoto University (Japan) within the Laboratory of Physical Anthropology leaded by Professor Masato Nakatsukasa. I also keep collaborating with the ICP Miquel Crusafont as Associate Researcher.

Part of my dissertation work, as well as other collaborative studies, have resulted in a series of articles that have been published in journals such as Science, Nature Communications, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, PLoS ONE, and Journal of Human Evolution; as well as a number of contributions to both international and national specialized meetings (Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontologists, Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists, and Annual Meeting of the Sociedad Española de Paleontología, among others). Moreover, all my research has been externally funded by the Spanish Government, the Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain), the Synthesys-3 Program of the European Union, and the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation. I have also participated in three national projects (Spanish Government and Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain) and have been the principal investigator of an international project (L.S.B. Leakey Foundation).

During my early-stage career I have visited several institutions including the American Museum of Natural History (New York, USA), Royal Museum of Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium), Museum of Comparative Zoology & Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (Cambridge, USA), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid, Spain), and the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Vienna, Austria).

Furthermore, I have experience on teaching undergraduate students at the Universtitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain). I have taught in different courses, including Primatology, Human Biology, and Human Origins, both lecture and laboratory classes, within the degrees of Biology and Environmental Biology.

I have actively collaborated in paleontological fieldwork campaigns since I started my university degree, including the fossil sites of Somosaguas, Cerro de los Batallones, and Pinilla del Valle (Madrid, Spain), Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain), La Roma 2 (Teruel, Spain), Toril-3A and Nombrevilla-9 (Zaragoza, Spain), Can Llobateres-1, La Valenciana, Castell de Barberà, and Creu Cunill (Barcelona, Spain).

In addition to scientific research and paleontological fieldwork, I am also committed to scientific outreach and public engagement through collaborations with local schools and general audience talks (e.g., JSPS Scientific Dialogue program).

Education

• D. Biodiversity (June 2016) – International PhD honors Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain). Supervisors: Dr. Salvador Moyà-Solà and Dr. Sergio Almécija

• S. Paleontology (June 2011). Universitat de Barcelona – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain).Supervisor: Dr. Salvador Moyà-Solà

• S. Degree in Biology (February 2010) – Specialization in Zoology. Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain).Degree Project (special degree honors). Supervisor: Dr. Manuel J. Salesa

Please, visit my professional profiles for additional information and publications:

Research Gate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marta_Pina

Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=_NI2YjIAAAAJ&hl=ca

ORCID Number: 0000-0001-9762-6402 (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9762-6402)

Twitter: @_martapina_ (https://twitter.com/_martapina_)