Dr. Chris Shelton, a Rogers State University assistant professor of mathematics and physical science, published three papers on bone histology in September, October and November 2021, respectively.
Shelton, from Ardmore, along with colleagues Mohd Shafi Bhat, from the department of biological sciences at the University of Cape Town, and Anusuya Chinsamy, from the natural history department at the New Jersey State Museum, investigated the bone histology of multiple skeletal elements.
“Bone density and bone cortex thickness has been viewed recently as a tool to try and correlate lifestyles of extinct animals by comparison to modern animals,” Shelton said. “There have been several recent studies from France focusing on this aspect, so editors asked that we expand on this point in our papers because it stimulates debate and discussion in the scientific community.”
The first paper, “Bone histology of the graviportal dinocephalian therapsid Jonkeria from the middle Permian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin of South Africa,” examined the bone histology of multiple skeletal elements of three individuals of Jonkeria from the middle Permian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin of South Africa. This paper was selected as the editor’s choice.
The second paper, “Inter-element variation in the bone histology of Anteosaurus (Dinocephalia, Anteosauridae) from the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin of South Africa,” examined the bone microstructure of multiple skeletal elements of Anteosaurus.
The third paper, “Bone Histology of Dinocephalians: Palaeobiological and Palaeoecological Inferences, was published in the peer reviewed academic journal “Papers in Paleaeontology,” and investigated the bone histology of multiple skeletal elements of dinocephalian taxa from the middle Permian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin of South Africa.
Shelton’s earth science courses at RSU explore prehistoric life and its evolution through geologic time. The combination of geology and biology, known as Paleohistology, unlocks evolutionary knowledge by investigating bone microstructures. His travels and research in countries around the world have allowed him to share unique perspectives based on real-world experiences students couldn’t otherwise experience from just reading a textbook.
At RSU, faculty conduct scientific research on a variety of topics to stay on the current edge of science even while they are teaching classes for their students.
“While we prefer to take students out into the field to gain hands-on experience, our faculty research experiences provide additional insight and background to keep our classrooms more interesting,” Dr. Jerry Bowen, department head and professor of biology, said.
Shelton holds a bachelor’s in Geology from Midwestern State University, a master’s in biology from Midwestern State University and a doctorate in vertebrate paleontology/paleohistology from the University of Bonn in Germany. Shelton has been appointed as the Geology Chair for the Oklahoma Academy of Science. He is also an honorary Research Associate of the New Jersey State Museum’s Natural History Department.
The Department of Mathematics and Physical Sciences provides a solid general education component for all RSU students. For more information, visit www.rsu.edu/mps.