Marianne E. Porter, Ph.D
Professor
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Biological Sciences
Boca Raton Campus
Education
- Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, 2007
Research Interests
- Skeletal mechanics
- Swimming kinematics
- Bioinspired design
- Biomaterials
Research Description
My research is in comparative biomechanics and functional morphology. My research focuses on understanding the mechanics of stiff biological materials; in particular, I am interested in cartilaginous vertebral column materials, mechanics, and how mechanics impact swimming speed and style. I also explore questions about skeletal system impacts on physiology, behavior, ecology, and evolution.
Recent Publications
- Lisa Natanson, Greg Skomal, Sarah L. Hoffmann*, Marianne E. Porter, Kenneth Goldman, and David Serra. 2018. Age and growth of elasmobranchs: do vertebral band pairs record age? Marine and Freshwater Research 69(9) 1440-1452.
- Shelby B. Creager* and Marianne E. Porter. 2018. A comparative study on the mechanical properties of shark skin. Zoology 126:154-163.
- Sarah L. Hoffmann*, Steven M. Warren, and Marianne E. Porter. Hammerhead shark species modulate swimming amplitude or frequency depending on cephalofoil shape. Journal of Experimental Biology 220(18): 3336-3343.
- Marianne E. Porter, Randy H. Ewoldt, and John H. Long Jr. Automatic control: the vertebral column of dogfish sharks behaves as a continuously variable transmission with smoothly shifting functions. 2016. Journal of Experimental Biology 219: 2908-2919. Featured article in Inside JEB.