Research topics
I am studying the below topics in terms of Paleontology and EvoDevo (Evolutionary Developmental Biology)
Peer-Reviewed Publications [N=2; 2 first authored]
SUBMITTED OR IN REVIEW
PUBLISHED
[2] Kubo, K., Kobayashi, Y. (In Review). Cursorial ecomorphology and temporal patterns in theropod dinosaur evolution during the mid-Cretaceous. (In press), Royal Society Open Science
[1] Kubo, K., Kobayashi, Y., Chinzotig, T., Tsogtbaatar, K. A new alvarezsaurid dinosaur (Theropoda, Alvarezsauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Baruungoyot Formation of Mongolia provides insights for bird-like sleeping behavior in non-avian dinosaurs. PLoS ONE 18(11): e0293801. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293801
Alvarezsaur Evolution and Systematics
Alvarezsauria is a group of bizarre maniraptoran theropods whose latest-branching members possess remarkably avian homoplasies (e.g., a lightly built, kinetic skull, a keeled sternum, a fused carpometacarpus, and a retroverted pubis and ischium). This group underwent clade-specific body size miniaturization during their evolutionary history in their body size, visual and auditory specialization, and limb specialization for fossorial and cursorial lifestyles. Alvarezsaurs with the above unusual features and evolutionary trends have received much attention in terms of functional morphology and evolution.
I focus on the evolutionary trend in their locomotor ability and avian-like sleeping behavior.
Photograph: a nearly complete alvarezsaurid skeleton with an avian-like sleeping position, Jaculinykus yaruui, we described recently [Kubo et al., 2023, PLOS ONE]
Cursorial Adaptation in Theropod Dinosaurs during the Cretaceous
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Convergent Evolution and Developmental Constraint of Foot Musculoskeletal Morphology in the Lineage leading to Birds
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