Karly E. Cohen, PhD

I am a researcher and lecturer at the University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs. I have recently completed a post-doctoral fellowship at California State University-Fullerton with Dr. Misty Paig-Tran. My research looks at the evolution and development of teeth, denticles and odontodes. These are some of the earliest vertebrate traits (over 500 million years old)! Using an arsenal of morphological and cutting-edge developmental and genetic techniques, I ask questions about fundamental laws acting on phenotypic evolution and how different lineages have solved common mechanical and ecological problems.

I received my Ph.D. from the University of Washington and Friday Harbor Labs in 2022 and graduated from The George Washington University with a Masters in Science in Biology in 2019.

Why do we lose our edge?

Teeth, as one of the most recognizable features of vertebrates, provide an excellent model for examining broader questions of morphological and functional convergence. The diversity of teeth and toothlike structures reflect more than the specific ecological niches in which they arise but the broader evolutionary trends in vertebrate design and feeding strategies. By investigating odontodes and teeth at multiple scales, we can explore how certain systems, even those that appear morphologically simple, like conical teeth, actually conceal complex functional dynamics.

I hypothesize that the evolution of diphyodont dentitions is driven by constructional constraints of the jaws and that constant remodeling required of polyphyodont dentition cannot be maintained given the forces and stresses produced by chewing.

Check out my abstract in SICB or message me for my recorded talk.