Jacqueline K Lungmus Statement of Purpose 1

Vertebrate paleontology, for me, is the most compelling lens through which to
explore the patterns and processes of evolutionary biology. Looking into the prehistoric
realm can provide me with impressive insight, answering questions about biology I didnt
even know I had. Although paleontology focuses for the most part on fossils, I view this
highly diverse field as being key to understanding many large-scale evolutionary patterns,
and it is in this field that I intend to focus my career. I entered college with broad
intentions to study the theory of evolution by natural selection. Early in my Bachelors
degree I was introduced to vertebrate paleontology, and since then I have enjoyed
learning how to use paleontology as a way to better understand evolution and the
complex workings of the natural world. This enjoyment, and my passion for the
processes and style of scientific inquiry, have lead me to pursue a higher degree in
biology so that I may successfully attain a research career in vertebrate paleontology.
My first exposure to paleontology came from being introduced to the Permian and
Triassic. Paleontology had never crossed my mind as a career path, but I quickly realized
that in many ways vertebrate paleontology was the perfect combination of my interests in
animals, macroevolution, and exploration. As a sophomore I sought out the opportunity
to participate in active research. I was hired as a research assistant for a project that
focused on the Permian-Triassic mass extinction event, helping to collect data for Dr.
Adam Huttenlockers Ph.D. dissertation in the vertebrate paleontology lab of Dr.
Christian Sidor at the University of Washington (UW). Performing histological image
analysis by hand of an extensive sample of nonmammalian therapsid limb bones, I
compiled data on various histological features including vascularity, robusticity, and
growth patterns. This large data set was used to examine whether or not a Lilliput
phenomenon (a temporary reduction in body size following a mass extinction) was
expressed across the Permo-Triassic boundary. My exposure to this work allowed me to
fully conceptualize the scope and effectiveness of paleontological research. For two
years, working with bones and data in this way required me to step back and think about
both the logistics and limitations of working with such a large data set, as well as its
implications, every time I came into the lab.
I learned histological preparation techniques, a rare opportunity for an
undergraduate, after recognizing my own engagement with the topic and an interest in the
specific methodologies of the research. This work taught me the technical skills that I
now apply every day in my own independent research; not only the methodology, but
also the details of how respectable and scientifically rigorous data on biological and
paleontological specimens is collected and analyzed. This work also introduced me to the
systematic process and approach of scientific inquiry.
I continued to assist in this project until its completion in the summer of 2013.
During that time I became very invested in the specific project, as well as the general
exploration of the time period and the how these animals responded to an environmental
catastrophe. Even as I am continually introduced to new areas of paleontology, I remain
especially interested in the animals that lived around 250 million years ago, and in the
fauna that endured one of the greatest environmental crises that life has ever seen. This
has to do with my interests in the type of questions a boundary event such as that of the
Permo-Triassic can tell us about macroevolutionary patterns and processes. Specifically, I
am drawn to the prospect of conducting deep-time research focusing on large-scale
Jacqueline K Lungmus Statement of Purpose 2


spatial and temporal changes in a way that is possible only through the use of the fossil
record.
Since my introduction to paleontology, extinction events and their role in
evolutionary biology both on a global scale and on a more local basin-level scale have
been engaging to me. While my experience thus far has focused on the Late Permian and
Early Triassic, my research interests are continually drawing me to other time periods and
other clades as well. I am excited by the prospects of conducting research that aims to
better understand how animals adjust to potential large scale changes in the make up of
their environment, in what ways species or clades may adapt to these changes, and how
those that do survive recover from these dramatic events.
In addition, I have greatly enjoyed learning about paleohistology. In July of 2013
I travelled to Montana to attend the International Symposium on Paleohistology, were I
was able to participate in active discussion on the complicated relationship between
histology and biological inference within paleontology. This methodology is a fascinating
way to look into aspects of biology that are difficult to explore otherwise, such as growth
rate and the way that blood is incorporated into bone. When these characteristics are
compared across large subsets of animals, through time, or are compared to extant
animals that we already have a complex understanding of, it is possible to gain a truly
unique perspective on the lifestyle of prehistoric animals.
These interests have greatly influenced the research that is my current Honors
Thesis. I am conducting a comparative bone histology project on wild caught small
mammals, looking at how the microstructure of their femora changes along an elevation
gradient. This project will enhance our understanding of how the amount of
environmental atmospheric hypoxia affects some aspects of an animals osteology,
including density of the bone wall, total bone area, and various mechanical properties.
This is one small project working to increase our broader understanding of how large-
scale changes in the environmental makeup manifest in the adult skeleton.
This project is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Patricia Kramer and
in close collaboration with the UW Anthropology Department. Dr. Kramer brings in a
mechanical engineering perspective that greatly diversifies the way we can think about
the influence of oxygen, and has enhanced the project in unique ways. I look forward to
submitting this research for publication this coming spring. In addition, this project has
not only been enlightening in regards to the actual concrete steps of conducting a research
project, but has also further validated my interest in the subject and my passion for this
style of questioning and examining the natural world.
What I want from the next step in my education is to begin drawing out trends and
patterns across assemblage zones, boundary events, and ecosystems. I want to better
understand large-scale temporal and spatial phenomena and partner with researchers
using a variety of approaches and exploring a wide range of environments. In October
2013 I went to Los Angeles to attend the 73
rd
Annual Meeting of the Society of
Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP), where I was able to familiarize myself with the
presentation of scientific findings to the greater community. What became apparent to me
from attending the 2013 SVP conference was that the field of evolutionary biology, and
paleontology in particular, is always growing, changing, and adjusting to incorporate new
techniques, discoveries, and advancements in our understanding of paleo-ecosystems.
Moving forward, I want to be in a position to bring something useful to paleontology and
Jacqueline K Lungmus Statement of Purpose 3


I am ready to start my transition into contributing to the constantly changing dialogue
about macroevolutionary processes.
The opportunity to work within the Darwinian Sciences cluster and the
evolutionary biology graduate student community at the University of Chicago is fitting,
as it will allow me to grow my research program, improve the quality of my work, and
hone my skills as a researcher in evolutionary biology and paleontology. Transitioning to
the Biological Sciences Division of the University Chicago Graduate Program for my
graduate studies will provide the opportunity to utilize new resources, particularly
through the close ties to The Field Museum and its collections an opportunity that is
particularly remarkable. Studying within the Committee of Evolutionary Biology, the
Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, and the Evolution & Ecology
Department would also allow me to pursue my research goals and develop ideas
alongside other academics, and at a level that few other institutions can offer, due in part
to the strong reputation and exemplary research faculty of the University.
In addition, I wish to incorporate fieldwork as an important component of my
projects. I have yet to take advantage of the ways in which fieldwork can strengthen
research, and it is a fundamental aspect of paleontology that I have yet to be introduced
to. Multiple biology labs at the University of Chicago conduct research on locations that
overlap with my interest in temporal patterns and extinction events, such as the Northern
and Western plains of the United States, Sub-Saharan Africa, and even Antarctica.
Gaining field experience is absolutely vital in the success of my research, and it will be
one of the most important transitions in my education as I move forward.
I am especially drawn to interdisciplinary programs where paleontology is
approached from a variety of angles and is discussed in relation to the broader discipline
of evolutionary biology, at which the University of Chicago excels. As I begin to foster
the type of career that emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration, I want to build ties to
multiple outlets across the larger university such as anatomists in the medical school and
to other labs in the Darwinian Sciences cluster that specialize in a more mathematical
approach to evolutionary biology. In addition, having a bio-anthropological background,
I look forward to any opportunity to establish collaboration with departments at the
University of Chicago that fall outside of the Biological Sciences division but still
conduct research that aims to understand evolutionary biology.
I will graduate from the University of Washington this spring with a major in
anthropology and a minor in paleobiology. I am at a time in my education in which I have
the most to gain by making a transition into an evolutionary biology graduate program.
Working with Dr. Huttenlocker in the Sidor lab gave me exposure to the field of
paleontology and has impressed upon me an appreciation for the intense work ethic and
high quality of research that comes out of paleontology labs at large research institutions
such as the University of Chicago. The University of Chicagos graduate program is
fostering talented new scientists, and I want to attend this institution so that I may reach
my full potential as a biological researcher. I want to advance my education at the
University of Chicago and to take full advantage of this program by working more
extensively with professors of biology and paleontological researchers such as Dr. Ken
Angielczyk, Dr. Peter Makovicky, and Dr. Zhe-Xi Luo with whom I have corresponded
and are examples of professionals at the University of Chicago conducting research
projects that are relevant to my interests.
Jacqueline K Lungmus Statement of Purpose 4


I am excited to make this transition in my education and to become a full member
of this program and community. I have already begun to lay the foundation for graduate
level research in paleontology through the creation of my own research project and
attendance at multiple scientific conferences. I have been able to effectively
conceptualize, initiate, and execute original research projects. I am confident that the
University of Chicago is the best place for me to achieve my goals.