Department of Anthropology

Penn State University

Timothy M. Ryan

Research ASSOCIATE of Biological Anthropology

Faculty Image Office: 322 Carpenter Building
Telephone: (814) 865-1531 Fax: (814) 863-1474
Email:

tmr21@psu.edu

Curriculum Vitae
 

EDUCATION:

  • B.A., University of New Orleans, 1994
  • M.A., University of Texas at Austin, 1997
  • Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 2001

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION:

Functional morphology, bone biomechanics, primate locomotion, primate and human evolution, high-resolution computed tomography, three-dimensional scientific visualization.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS:

Dr. Ryan is interested in the relationship between bone structure and the locomotor and masticatory behaviors of mammals.  Dr. Ryan’s work is particularly focused on the structure, function, and development of trabecular bone and its relationship to musculoskeletal loading.  Using non-destructive techniques such as high-resolution computed tomography and the finite element method, Dr. Ryan has also analyzed fossil primate specimens in order to reconstruct their locomotor behaviors.  Dr. Ryan is currently working on projects to determine the interspecific scaling patterns of trabecular structure and to document the ontogenetic development of bone structure in the human femur.  He has also worked on the description and analysis of various fossil primates from the Eocene, Oligocene, and Miocene.

FIELDWORK:

Magnetostratigraphy and paleontology of the Eocene Yuanqu Formation, China; paleontology of the Oligocene Chilga Formation, Ethiopia; magnetostratigraphy of the Eocene Kishenehn Formation, Montana; paleontology of the Paleocene Washakie Basin, Wyoming.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

  • Parsons, T., T. M. Ryan, R.H. Reeves, and J. Richtsmeier. (2007) Micro-structure of trabecular bone in a mouse model for Down syndrome. The Anatomical Record 290:414-421.
  • Vinyard, C. J. and T. M. Ryan. (2006) Cross-sectional bone distribution in the mandibles of gouging and non-gouging platyrrhines. International Journal of Primatology 27:1461-1490.
  • Ryan, T. M. and G.E. Krovitz. (2006) Trabecular bone ontogeny in the human proximal femur. Journal of Human Evolution 51:591-602.
  • Ryan, T.M. and G.R. Milner. (2006) Osteological applications of high-resolution computed tomography: A prehistoric arrow injury. Journal of Archaeological Science 33:871-879.
  • Maga, M., J. Kappelman, T.M. Ryan, and R.A. Ketcham. (2006) The calcaneal trabecular microarchitecture of extant large bodied hominoids. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 129:410-417.
  • Seiffert, E.R., E.L. Simons, T.M. Ryan, and Y. Attia. (2005) Additional remains of Wadilemur elegans, a primitive stem galagid from the late Eocene of Egypt. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 102:11396-11401.
  • Ryan, T. M. and R. A. Ketcham. (2005) The angular orientation of trabecular bone in the femoral head and its relationship to hip joint loads in leaping primates. Journal of Morphology 265:249-263.
  • Ryan, T. M. and B. van Rietbergen. (2005) Mechanical significance of femoral head trabecular bone structure in Loris and Galago evaluated using micromechanical finite element models. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 126:82-96.
  • Ketcham, R. A. and T. M. Ryan. (2004) Quantification of anisotropy in trabecular bone. Journal of Microscopy 213:158-171.
  • Kappelman, J., D. T. Rasmussen, W. J. Sanders, M. Feseha, T. Bown, P. Copeland, J. Crabaugh, J. Fleagle, M. Glantz, A. Gordon, B. Jacobs, M. Maga, K. Muldoon, A. Pan, L. Pyne, B. Richmond, T. Ryan, E. R. Seiffert, S. Sen, L. Todd, M. C. Wiemann, A. Winkler. (2003) Oligocene mammals from Ethiopia and faunal exchange between Afro-Arabia and Eurasia. Nature 426:549-552
  • Ryan, T. M. and R. A. Ketcham. (2002) Femoral head trabecular bone structure in two omomyid primates. Journal of Human Evolution 43:241-263.
  • Ryan, T. M. and R. A. Ketcham. (2002) The three-dimensional structure of trabecular bone in the femoral head of strepsirrhine primates. Journal of Human Evolution 43:1-26.
  • Fajardo, R. J., T. M. Ryan, and J. Kappelman. (2002) Assessing the accuracy of high-resolution X-ray computed tomography of primate trabecular bone by comparisons with histological sections. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 118:1-10.