Welcome to the Coates Lab!
We sit at the crossroads of evolutionary developmental biology, paleobiology, and anatomy. Our research interests are wide-ranging, and broadly fall under the evolution and diversity of early vertebrates, as well as adding paleontological and comparative anatomy perspectives to evo-devo. We are also very interested in the use of new imaging and visualization technologies in our work, such as CT scanning and 3D printing.
NEWS
Michael Coates elected 2021 AAAS Fellow
Our fearless leader has been elected as a 2021 AAAS Fellow, one of nine from the University of Chicago this year! The AAAS elected him for his “distinguished contribution to the field of vertebrate paleontology, particularly for original studies on phylogenies and...
Lauren Sallan, Coates Lab alum, establishing new Marine Macroevolution Unit
We are pleased to hear that Lauren Sallan (CEB, '12) is establishing a new Marine Macroevolution Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST)! Congratulations, Lauren! From her website:...
Coates Lab Alum Tom Stewart lands at Penn State!
Congratulations to Tom Stewart, Coates Lab alum, for his new position as Assistant Professor in Biology at Penn State University! Tom's dissertation focused on the adipose fin and its developmental/evolutionary origins. Upon completing his PhD, he worked in Gunter...
Recent Publications
Novel assembly of a head–trunk interface in the sister group of jawed vertebrates.
Miyashita, T., Janvier, P., Tietjen, K., Berenguer, F., Schöder, S., Marone, F., Gueriau, P, Coates, M.I. (2025). Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09329-9
Re-make, re-model: evolution and development of vertebrate cranial lateral lines.
Venkataraman, V., Lopez, M., Prince, V.E., Coates, M.I. (2025). Biological Reviews, Early View. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70045
Development of the zebrafish anterior lateral line system is influenced by underlying cranial neural crest.
Venkataraman, V., McGrory. N.H., Christiansen, T.J., Navajas Acedo, J., Coates, M.I., Prince, V.E. (2025). Developmental Biology 525, 102–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.05.025
The lower jaw of Devonian ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii): Anatomy, relationships, and functional morphology.
Igielman, B., Figueroa, R.T., Higgins, R.R., Pierce, S.E., Coates, M.I., Troyer, E.M., Fernandez, V., Dollman, K., Lu, J., Zhu, M., Friedman, M., Giles, S. (2025). The Anatomical Record, Early View. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.70005