Postdoctoral researcher
Paleoprimatology & Paleoanthropology
I am a paleoanthropologist interested in the evolution of locomotion and posture, including the origins, specialization and diversification of locomotor behaviors of hominoid primates and hominins, with emphasis on hominoid locomotor evolution and the origins of the upright posture and bipedalism. I use innovative 3D biomedical and engineering techniques to analyze the internal and external bone morphology of extant and fossil ape forelimb and spine, and cadaveric dissection studies to account for soft tissue morphology and constraints (which is usually overlooked).
After obtaining my Master’s in Human Biology (2010), I conducted my PhD (2014) on the external morphology of the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint using three-dimensional geometric morphometric (3DGM) techniques. After completing my PhD, I was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship at the University of Kent, UK (2016-2019) to explore Miocene ape locomotion via the application of innovative analysis of internal bone structure (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/703608). In 2019, I was awarded a Beatriu de Pinós–MSCA COFUND fellowship at ICP (2020-2023) to continue working on the internal morphology of bones of Miocene apes and introduce this innovative technique to Spain.
I am now a researcher at ICP working on external and internal Miocene ape and catarrhine bone and soft tissue morphology.
Research interest:
- Hominoid locomotion
- Hominin and hominoid evolution
- Hominoid forelimb musculoskeletal adaptations/biomechanics
- Miocene ape and hominin locomotor behavior inferences
- Bone external and internal morphology analyses
- The evolution of the orthograde body plan and the origins of bipedalism
Contact and research outputs:
- e-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julia_Arias-Martorell
- Academia profile: https://icp-cat.academia.edu/JuliaAriasMartorell
