Rate My Professor Catherine Boisvert

Catherine Boisvert is an evolutionary developmental biologist specializing in the origin of the jawed vertebrate body plan. She combines developmental studies of modern sharks, including elephant sharks and catsharks, with examinations of exceptionally preserved fossils from the Devonian Gogo Formation to understand the evolution of vertebrate morphology. Her research addresses morphological transformations during key evolutionary events, such as the fish-tetrapod transition and the diversification of early tetrapods and amphibians. Notable publications include 'The pectoral fin of Panderichthys and the origin of digits' (Nature, 2008), 'The pelvic fin and girdle of Panderichthys and the origin of tetrapod locomotion' (Nature, 2005), 'The ancient origins of neural substrates for land walking' (Cell, 2018), 'Fossil musculature of the most primitive jawed vertebrates' (Science, 2013), 'Pelvic and reproductive structures in placoderms (stem gnathostomes)' (Biological Reviews, 2015), and 'Exceptional preservation of organs in Devonian placoderms from the Gogo lagerstätte' (Science, 2022). With over 1,279 citations on Google Scholar, her contributions have advanced insights into early vertebrate locomotion and anatomy. She holds the Curtin Research Fellowship and leads graduate research initiatives in her school.