Professor John Hutchinson

PhD
Professor of Evolutionary Biomechanics

Department: Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Campus: Hawkshead

Research Groups: Musculoskeletal Biology

Research Centres: Structure & Motion Laboratory, MicroCT

Professor Hutchinson is a Professor of Evolutionary Biomechanics. John's research straddles the fields of evolutionary biology and biomechanics, with an emphasis on how very large animals stand and move and how locomotion evolved in different groups of land vertebrates. He has mentored 15 postdoctoral scholars, 7 research technicians, 9 PhD students (plus 19 more as co-supervisor/committtee member), 6 masters students and over 100 undergraduate student research projects since 2004.

Professor Hutchinson is an American biologist who found a new home in the UK as a dual citizen. He gained a BS degree in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin in 1993, then received a PhD in Integrative Biology at the University of California with Kevin Padian in 2001 (view my academic lineage here!), and rounded out his training with a two-year National Science Foundation bioinformatics Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Biomechanical Engineering Division of Stanford University with Scott Delp.

John started at the Royal Veterinary College as a Lecturer in Evolutionary Biomechanics in 2003 in the Department of Veterinary Basic Sciences (now Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences), in 2008 became a Reader, and in 2011 became a full Professor.

Prof. Hutchinson is an Associate Editor for Proceedings of the Royal Society B and the modern open access journal PeerJ. He is also a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, the Zoological Society of London, the Anatomical Society (UK), the Higher Education Academy (UK) and the Royal Society of Biology. From 2012-2013 he had a sabbatical as a Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellow at the RVC. He is Chair of the Division of Vertebrate Morphology in the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. As an OpenSim Fellow he promotes the usage and improvement of computer simulations in biomechanics, and he was New Fellow of the Year of the Anatomical Society in 2015. Prof. Hutchinson has also held Honorary Professorships at the University of Queensland (Australia) and at University College London.

John's team is part of the Structure & Motion Laboratory.

How to visit us at the Hawkshead RVC campus outside London

Prof. Hutchinson has worked on extant and extinct animals ranging from birds and crocodiles to elephants and many other mammals as well as extinct dinosaurs and early tetrapods. John uses a combination of theoretical and experimental techniques, from motion analysis or XROMM and force platforms to simple 2D static mechanics or complex 3D fully dynamic computer simulations.

Along with his collaborators, he has secured over £7 million in research funding since 2004; including grants from the BBSRC, NERC, Royal Society, Wellcome Trust, Leverhulme Trust, Royal Society, ERC and multiple EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowships. His team's major current ERC-funded project through 2021 "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" has a website here.

Examples of Prof. Hutchinson's current and past research projects are here:

1. Tyrannosaurus was not a fast runner

2. Why dinosaur locomotion is about more than just bones

3. Are fast-moving elephants really running?

4. How elephants use their limbs to move like 4WD vehicles

5. Do elephants have six toes?

6. Three-dimensional computer modelling shows how Tyrannosaurus rex grew

7. Limb joint mobility in the early tetrapod Ichthyostega reveals how walking evolved

8. Using particle accelerators to show how the tetrapod backbone evolved

9. Biomechanics and pathology of mammalian feet (BBSRC grant w/Renate Weller and colleagues)

10. Evolution of dinosaur body shape and locomotion

11. Evolution of form, function and development of sesamoid bones in vertebrate limbs

12. Dawn of the dinosaurs: testing the locomotor superiority hypothesis (current major project through 2021)

 

See John's pages on Academia.edu, Google Scholar and ResearchGate.

A list of publications can also be found below:

Peer-Reviewed Journals (106):

106. Charles, J.P., Cappellari, O., Hutchinson, J.R. 2018. A dynamic simulation of musculoskeletal function in the mouse hindlimb during trotting locomotion. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00061 Data available at https://simtk.org/projects/mousehindlimb

105. Molnar, J., Diogo, R., Hutchinson, J.R., Pierce, S.E. Evolution of hindlimb muscle anatomy across the tetrapod water-land transition, including comparisons with forelimb anatomy. Anatomical Record, in press. doi:

104. Adams, G., Cook, R.B., Hutchinson, J.R., Zioupos, P. 2018. Bone apparent and material densities examined by cone beam computed tomography and the Archimedes technique: comparison of the two methods and their results. Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering: Mechanics of Materials 3:23. doi: 10.3389/fmech.2017.00023

103. Bishop, P.J., Clemente, C.J., Graham, D.F., Lamas, L.P., Hutchinson, J.R., Rubenson, J., Wilson, R.S., Hocknull, S.A., Barrett, R.S., Lloyd, D.G. 2018. The influence of speed and size on avian terrestrial locomotor biomechanics: predicting locomotion in extinct theropod dinosaurs. PLOS One 13(2): e0192172. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192172

102. Tickle, P.G., Hutchinson, J.R., Codd, J.R. 2018. Energy allocation and behaviour in the growing broiler chicken. Scientific Reports 8:4562. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-22604-2

101. Tsai, H., Middleton, K.M., Hutchinson, J.R., Holliday, C.M. 2018. Hip joint articular soft tissues of non-dinosaurian Dinosauromorpha and early Dinosauria: evolutionary and biomechanical implications for Saurischia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1427593

100. Esteve-Altava, B., Molnar, J.L., Johnston, P., Hutchinson, J.R., Diogo, R. 2018. Anatomical network analysis of the musculoskeletal system reveals integration loss and parcellation boost during the fins-to-limbs transition. Evolution 72: 601-618. doi: 10.1111/evo.13430 Data and code available at Figshare: https://figshare.com/s/beaebfab3df84106f1b9

99. Otero, A., Allen, V., Pol, D., Hutchinson, J.R. 2017. Forelimb muscle and joint actions in Archosauria: insights from Crocodylus johnstoni (Pseudosuchia) and Mussaurus patagonicus (Sauropodomorpha). PeerJ 5:e3976. doi:10.7717/peerj.3976 Models available at Figshare: https://figshare.com/articles/Crocodylus_musculoskeletal_models/4928696 and https://figshare.com/articles/Mussaurus_musculoskeletal_models/4928684

98. Hu, X., Charles, J.P., Akay, T., Hutchinson, J.R., Blemker, S.S. 2017. Are mice good models for human neuromuscular disease? Comparing muscle excursions in walking between mice and humans. Skeletal Muscle 7:26. doi: 10.1186/s13395-017-0143-9

97. Molnar, J., Diogo, R., Hutchinson, J.R., Pierce, S.E. 2017. Reconstructing pectoral appendicular muscle anatomy in fossil fish and tetrapods over the fins-to-limbs transition. Biological Reviews, published online. doi: 10.1111/brv.12386

96. Felder, A.A., Phillips, C., Cornish, H., Cooke, M., Hutchinson, J.R., Doube, M. 2017. Secondary osteons scale allometrically in the mammalian humerus and femur. Royal Society Open Science 4:170431. doi: 10.1091/rsos.170431

95. Regnault, S., Allen, V., Chadwick, K.P., Hutchinson, J.R. 2017. Analysis of the moment arms and kinematics of ostrich (Struthio camelus) double patellar sesamoids. Journal of Experimental Zoology A 327:163-171. doi: 10.1002/jez.2082

94. Macaulay, S., Hutchinson, J.R., Bates, K.T. 2017. A quantitative evaluation of physical and digital approaches to centre of mass estimation. Journal of Anatomy 231:758-775. doi: 10.1111/joa.12667

93. Bishop, P. J., Clemente, C. J., Weems, R. E., Graham, D. F., Lamas, L. P., Hutchinson, J. R., Rubenson, J., Wilson, R. S., Hocknull, S. A., Barrett, R. S., Lloyd, D. G. 2017. Using step width to compare locomotor biomechanics between extinct, non-avian theropod dinosaurs and modern obligate bipeds. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 14:20170276. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0276 Data available at Figshare: https://figshare.com/articles/Supplementary_Material_from_Using_step_width_to_compare_locomotor_biomechanics_between_extinct_non-avian_theropod_dinosaurs_and_modern_obligate_bipeds/5166394

92. Allen, V.R., Kambic, R.E., Gatesy, S.M., Hutchinson, J.R. 2017. Gearing effects of the patella (knee extensor muscle sesamoid) of the helmeted guineafowl during terrestrial locomotion. Journal of Zoology 303:178-187. doi: 10.1111/jzo.12485 Code available at Figshare: https://figshare.com/articles/Matlab_code_to_reconstruct_3D_paths_of_muscle_lines-of-action/5107171

91. Chadwick, K.P., Shefelbine, S.J., Pitsillides, A.A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2017. Finite-element modelling of mechanobiological factors influencing sesamoid tissue morphology in the patellar tendon of an ostrich. Royal Society Open Science 4:170133. doi: 10.1098/rsos.170133 Data available at Figshare: https://figshare.com/projects/Finite_element_modelling_of_the_patellar_tendon_of_an_ostrich_Struthio_camelus_data/18715

90. Pollard, A., Charlton, B., Hutchinson, J.R., Gustafsson, T., McGonnell, I., Timmons, J., Pitsillides, A. 2017. Limb proportions show developmental plasticity in response to embryo movement. Scientific Reports 7:41926. doi: 10.1038/srep41926

89. Cuff, A.R., Goswami, A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2017. Reconstruction of the musculoskeletal system in an extinct lion. Palaeontologia Electronica 20.2.23A:1-25. link

88. Davies, T.G., Rahman, I.A., Lautenschlager, S., Cunningham, J.A., Asher, R.J., Barrett, P.M., Bates, K.T., Bengtson, S., Benson, R.B.J., Boyer, D.M., Braga, J., Bright, J.A., Claessens, L.P.A.M., Cox, P.G., Dong, X.-P., Evans, A.R., Falkingham, P.L., Friedman, M., Garwood, R.J., Goswami, A., Hutchinson, J.R., Jeffery, N.S., Johanson, Z., Lebrun, R., Martínez-Pérez, C., Marugán-Lobón, J., O'Higgins, P.M., Metscher, B., Orliac, M., Rowe, T.B., Rücklin, M., Sánchez-Villagra, M.R., Shubin, N.H., Smith, S.Y., Starck, J.M., Stringer, C., Summers, A.P., Sutton, M.D., Walsh, S.A., Weisbecker, V., Witmer, L.M., Wroe, S., Yin, Z., Rayfield, E.J., Donoghue, P.C.J. 2017. Open data and digital morphology. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: 20170194. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0194

87. Jiang, B., Zhao, T., Regnault, S., Edwards, N.P., Kohn, S.C., Li, Z., Wogelius, R.A., Benton, M., Hutchinson, J.R. 2017. Cellular preservation of musculoskeletal specializations in the Cretaceous bird Confuciusornis. Nature Communications 8:14779. doi: 10.1038/NCOMMS14779 Data available at Figshare: https://figshare.com/projects/Confuciusornis_soft_tissue_study_in_Nature_Communications_2017-_data/18682

86. Samuels, M., Regnault, S., Hutchinson, J.R. 2017. Evolution of the patellar sesamoid bone in mammals. PeerJ 5:e3103. doi: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3103

85.  Regnault, S., Dixon, J.J.I., Warren-Smith, C., Hutchinson, J.R., Weller, R. 2016. Skeletal pathology and variable anatomy in elephant feet assessed using computed tomography. PeerJ 5:e2877. doi: 10.7717/peerj.2877

84. Regnault, S., Hutchinson, J.R., Jones, M.E.H. 2017. Sesamoid bones in tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) investigated with X-ray microtomography, and implications for sesamoid evolution in Lepidosauria. Journal of Morphology 278:62-72. doi:10.1002/jmor.20619 Data available at: https://osf.io/bds35/

83. Randau, M., Cuff, A.R., Hutchinson, J.R., Pierce, S.E., Goswami, A. 2016. Regional differentiation of felid vertebral column evolution: a study of 3D shape trajectories. Organisms Diversity & Evolution (2016) 1-15. doi:10.1007/s13127-016-0304-4

82. Panagiotopoulou, O., Pataky, T.C., Day, M., Hensman, M.C., Hensman, S., Hutchinson, J.R., Clemente, C.J. 2016. Foot pressure distributions during walking in African elephants (Loxodonta africana). Royal Society Open Science 3: 160203. doi: 10.1098/rsos.160203

81. Panagiotopoulou, O., Rankin, J.W., Gatesy, S.M., Hutchinson, J.R. 2016. A preliminary case study of the effect of shoe-wearing on the biomechanics of a horse’s foot. PeerJ 4: e2164. doi: 10.7717/peerj.2164

80. Bates, K.T., Mannion, P.D., Falkingham, P.L., Brusatte, S.L., Hutchinson, J.R., Otero, A., Sellers, W.I., Sullivan, C., Stevens, K.A., Allen, V. 2016. Temporal and phylogenetic evolution of the sauropod dinosaur body plan. Royal Society Open Science 3: 150636. doi: 10.1098/rsos.150636

79. Randau, M., Goswami, A., Hutchinson, J.R., Cuff, A.R., Pierce, S.E. 2016. Cryptic complexity in felid vertebral evolution: shape differentiation and allometry of the axial skeleton. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 178:183-202. doi: 10.1111/zoj.12403

78. Rankin, J.W., Rubenson, J., Hutchinson, J.R. 2016. Inferring muscle functional roles of the ostrich pelvic limb during walking and running using computer optimization. Journal of the Royal Society- Interface 20160035. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2016.0035. Data available at Dryad: http://datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.fh3h6 and https://simtk.org/projects/ostrichopensim

77. Charles, J.P., Cappellari, O., Spence, A.J., Wells, D.J., Hutchinson, J.R. 2016. Muscle moment arms and sensitivity analysis of a mouse hindlimb musculoskeletal model. Journal of Anatomy 229:514–535. doi: 10.1111/joa.12461 Model available at: https://simtk.org/projects/mousehindlimb

76. Charles, J.P., Cappellari, O., Spence, A.J., Hutchinson, J.R., Wells, D.J. 2016. Musculoskeletal geometry, muscle architecture and functional specialisations of the mouse hindlimb. PLOS One 11(4): e0147669. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147669

75. Cuff, A.R., Sparkes, E.L., Randau, M., Pierce, S.E., Kitchener, A.C., Goswami, A. and Hutchinson, J.R. 2016. The scaling of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) I: forelimb, cervical, and thoracic muscles. Journal of Anatomy 229:128–141. doi: 10.1111/joa.12477

74. Cuff, A.R., Sparkes, E.L., Randau, M., Pierce, S.E., Kitchener, A.C., Goswami, A. and Hutchinson, J.R. 2016. The scaling of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) II: hindlimb and lumbosacral muscles. Journal of Anatomy 229:142–152. doi: 10.1111/joa.12474

73. Regnault, S., Jones, M.E.H., Pitsillides, A.A. Hutchinson, J.R. 2016. Anatomy, morphology and evolution of the patella in squamate lizards and tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). Journal of Anatomy 228: 864–876. doi: 10.1111/joa.12435

72. Basu, C., Falkingham, P.L., Hutchinson, J.R. 2016. The extinct, giant giraffid Sivatherium giganteum: skeletal reconstruction and body mass estimation. Biology Letters 20150940. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0940. Open database provided at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.83367

71. Neves, D.P., Abdanan Mehdizadeh, S., Banhazi, T.M., Hutchinson, J.R., Nääs, I.A. 2015. The effects of feed particle size on feeding kinematics in young broiler chickens. In: 7th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming, 2015, Milan. Precision Livestock farming '15. Milan: Guarino, M.; Berckmans, pp. 801-810.

70. Molnar, J., Pierce, S.E., Bhullar, B.-A.S., Turner, A.H., Hutchinson, J.R. 2015. Morphological and functional changes in the vertebral column with increasing aquatic adaptation in crocodylomorphs. Royal Society Open Science 2: 150439. doi: 10.1098/rsos.150439  Open database provided at: http://morphomuseum.com/articles/view/17

69. Houssaye, A., Waskow, K., Hayashi, S., Cornette, R., Lee, A.H., Hutchinson, J.R. 2015. Biomechanical evolution of solid bones in large animals: a microanatomical investigation. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 117:350–371. doi: 10.1111/bij.12660

68. Cuff, A.R., Randau, M., Head, J., Hutchinson, J.R., Pierce, S.E., Goswami, A. 2015. Big cat, small cat: Reconstructing body size evolution in living and extinct Felidae. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 28:1516-1525. doi: 10.1111/jeb.12671

67. Hutchinson, J.R., Rankin, J.W., Rubenson, J., Rosenbluth, K.H., Siston, R.A., Delp, S.L. 2015. Musculoskeletal modelling of an ostrich (Struthio camelus) pelvic limb: Influence of limb orientation on muscular capacity during locomotion. PeerJ 3:e1001. https://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1001

66. Chadwick, K.P., Regnault, S., Allen, V., Hutchinson, J.R. 2014. Three-dimensional anatomy of the ostrich (Struthio camelus) knee joint. PeerJ 2:e706. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.706

65. Lamas, L., Main, R.P., Hutchinson, J.R. 2014. Ontogenetic scaling patterns and functional anatomy of the pelvic limb musculature in emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae). PeerJ 2:e716. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.716

64. Regnault, S., Pitsillides, A.A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2014. Structure, ontogeny and evolution of the patellar tendon in emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and other palaeognath birds. PeerJ 2:e711. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.711

63. Dudley, R.J., Wood, S.P., Hutchinson, J.R., Weller, R. 2014. Radiographic protocol and normal anatomy of the hind feet in the White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, online. doi: 10.1111/vru.12215

62. Allen, V., Molnar, J., Pollard, A., Nolan, G., Hutchinson, J.R. 2014. Comparative architectural properties of limb muscles in Crocodylidae and Alligatoridae and their relevance to divergent use of asymmetrical gaits in extant Crocodylia. Journal of Anatomy 225: 569-582. [Cover image; also Journal of Anatomy Runner-Up Best Paper Prize, 2014] doi: 10.1111/joa.12245

61. Tickle, P.G., Paxton, H., Rankin, J.W., Hutchinson, J.R., Codd, J.R. 2014.Anatomical and biomechanical traits of broiler chickens across ontogeny. Part I. Anatomy of the musculoskeletal respiratory apparatus and changes in organ size. PeerJ 2:e432 http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.432

60. Paxton, H., Tickle, P.G., Rankin, J.W., Codd, J.R., Hutchinson, J.R. 2014. Anatomical and biomechanical traits of broiler chickens across ontogeny. Part II. Body segment inertial properties and muscle architecture of the pelvic limb. PeerJ 2:e473 http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.473

59. Molnar, J., Pierce, S.E., Hutchinson, J.R. 2014. An experimental and morphometric test of the relationship between vertebral morphology and joint stiffness in Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus). Journal of Experimental Biology 217: 757-768. doi: 10.1242/jeb.089904

58. Regnault, S., Hermes R., Hildebrandt, T., Hutchinson. J.R., Weller, R. 2013. Osteopathology in the feet of rhinoceroses: Lesion type and distribution. Journal of Zoo & Wildlife Medicine 44: 918-927. http://dx.doi.org/10.1638/2012-0277R1.1 2014 best paper winner (Linda Munson Pathology Manuscript Award)                                                                    

57. Qian, Z., Ren, L., Ding, Y., Hutchinson J.R., Ren, L. 2013. A dynamic finite element analysis of human foot complex in the sagittal plane during level walking. PLoS ONE 8(11): e79424.  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079424

56. Paxton, H., Daley, M.A., Corr, S.A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2013. The gait dynamics of the modern broiler chicken: A cautionary tale of selective breeding. Journal of Experimental Biology 216: 3237-3248. doi: 10.1242/jeb.080309

55. Pittman, M., Gatesy, S.M., Upchurch, P., Goswami, A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2013. Shake a tail feather: the evolution of the theropod tail into a stiff aerodynamic surface. PLOS ONE 8(5): e63115. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063115                                                   

54. Pierce, S.E., Hutchinson, J.R., Clack, J.A. 2013. Historical perspectives on the evolution of tetrapodomorph movement. Integrative and Comparative Biology 53: 209-223. doi: 10.1093/icb/ict022 Free access available at: http://icb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/ict022?ijkey=F2ekjzMTxcsQEFG&keytype=ref

53. Allen, V.A., Bates, K.T., Li, Z., Hutchinson, J.R. 2013. Linking the evolution of body shape and locomotor biomechanics in bird-line archosaurs. Nature 497:104–107. doi:10.1038/nature12059 (explanatory blog post here http://whatsinjohnsfreezer.com/2013/04/24/3d_dinosaurs/ and webpage here http://www.rvc.ac.uk/SML/Projects/Evolution3DDinos.cfm). Open database provided at: Dryad Digital Repository- doi: 10.5061/dryad.hh74n

52. Schachner, E.R., Hutchinson, J.R., Farmer, C.G. 2013. Pulmonary anatomy in the Nile crocodile and the evolution of unidirectional airflow in Archosauria. PeerJ 1:e60 http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.60 Open database provided at: Dryad Digital Repository. doi: 10.5061/dryad.h702r

51. Warner, S.E., Pickering, P., Panagiotopoulou, O., Pfau, T., Ren, L., Hutchinson, J.R. 2013. Size-related changes in foot impact mechanics in hoofed mammals. PLOS ONE 8(1): e54784. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054784

50. Pierce, S.E., Ahlberg, P.E., Hutchinson, J.R., Molnar, J.L., Sanchez, S., Tafforeau, P., Clack, J.A. 2013. Vertebral architecture in the earliest stem tetrapods. Nature 494:226-229. doi: 10.1038/nature11825  (explanatory blog post here: http://whatsinjohnsfreezer.com/2013/01/10/tetrapodvertebrae/) Open database provided at: Dryad Digital Repository- http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0003s

49. Pierce, S.E., Clack, J.A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2012. Three-dimensional limb joint mobility in the early tetrapod Ichthyostega. Nature 486:523-526. doi: 10.1038/nature11124 (see explanatory webpage at: http://www.rvc.ac.uk/SML/Projects/TetrapodLimbMotion.cfm)

48. Doube, M., Yen, S.C.W., Klosowski, M.M., Farke A.A., Hutchinson, J.R., Shefelbine, S.J. 2012. Whole-bone scaling of the avian pelvic limb. Journal of Anatomy 221:21-29. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2012.01514.x

47. Zhang, K.Y., Wiktorowicz-Conroy, A., Hutchinson, J.R., Doube, M., Klosowski, M., Shefelbine, S.J., Bull, A.M.J. 2012. 3D morphometric and posture study of felid scapulae using statistical shape modelling. PLoS ONE 7(4): e34619. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034619

46. Fujiwara, S. and Hutchinson, J.R. 2012. Elbow joint adductor moment arm as an indicator of forelimb posture in extinct quadrupedal tetrapods. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 269:2561-2570. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0190

45.  Panagiotopoulou, O., Pataky, T.C., Hill, Z., Hutchinson, J.R. 2012.  Statistical parametric mapping of the regional distribution and ontogenetic scaling of foot pressures during walking in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Journal of Experimental Biology 215:1584-1593. doi: 10.1242/jeb.065862

44. Molnar, J.L., Pierce, S.E., Clack, J.A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2012. Idealized landmark-based geometric reconstructions of poorly preserved fossil material: A case study of a tetrapod vertebra. Palaeontologia Electronica 15.1.2T. doi: 10.1006/cviu.1997.0607 (see explanatory webpage at: http://www.palaeo-electronica.org/blog/?p=654)

43. Hutchinson, J.R., Delmer, C., Miller, C.E., Hildebrandt, T., Pitsillides, A.A., Boyde, A.J. 2011. From flat foot to fat foot: The structure, ontogeny, function and evolution of elephant “sixth toes.” Science 344:1699-1703. doi: 10.1126/science.1211437 (see explanatory webpage at: http://www.rvc.ac.uk/SML/Projects/Doelephantshavesixfingers.cfm)

42. Hutchinson, J.R., Bates, K.T., Molnar, J., Allen, V., Makovicky, P.J. 2011. A computational analysis of limb and body dimensions in Tyrannosaurus rex with implications for locomotion, ontogeny, and growth. PLoS One 6(10): e26037. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026037  (see explanatory webpage at: http://www.rvc.ac.uk/SML/Projects/3DTrexGrowth.cfm) Important paper correction here: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi/10.1371/journal.pone.0097055

41. Hutchinson, J.R. 2011. On the inference of function from structure using biomechanical modelling and simulation of extinct organisms. Biology Letters rsbl20110399. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0399

40. Pierce, S.E., Clack, J.A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2011. Comparative axial morphology in pinnipeds and its correlation with aquatic locomotion behaviour. Journal of Anatomy 219:502-514. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2011.01406.x

39. Fujiwara, S., Endo, H., Hutchinson, J.R. 2011. Topsy-turvy locomotion: biomechanical specializations of the elbow in suspended quadrupeds reflect inverted gravitational constraints. Journal of Anatomy 219:176-191. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2011.01379.x

38. Doube, M., Klosowski, M.M., Wiktorowicz-Conroy, A.M., Hutchinson, J.R., Shefelbine, S.J. 2011. Trabecular bone scales allometrically in mammals and birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 278:3067-3073. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2011.0069

37. Pfau, T., Hinton, E., Whitehead, C., Wiktorowicz-Conroy, A.M., Hutchinson, J.R. 2011. Temporal gait parameters in the alpaca and the evolution of pacing and trotting locomotion in the Camelidae. Journal of Zoology 283:193–202. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2010.00763.x

36. Souter, T., Cornette, R., Pedraza, J., Hutchinson, J., Baylac, M. 2010. Two applications of 3D semi-landmark morphometrics implying different template designs: the theropod pelvis and the shrew skull. Comptes Rendus Palevol 9:411-422. doi: 10.1016/j.crpv.2010.09.002

35. Doube, M., Klosowski, M.M., Arganda-Carreras, I., Cordelières, F.P., Dougherty, R.P., Jackson, J.S., Schmid, B., Hutchinson, J.R., Shefelbine, S.J. 2010. BoneJ: free and extensible bone image analysis in ImageJ. Bone 47:1076-1079. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2010.08.023

34. Brusatte, S.L., Norell, M.A., Carr, T.D., Erickson, G.M., Hutchinson, J.R., Bever, G.S., Balanoff, A.M., Xu, X., Makovicky, P.J., Choiniere, J.N. 2010. Tyrannosaur paleobiology: new research on an ancient model organism. Science 329:1481-1485. doi: 10.1126/science.1193304

33. More, H.L., Hutchinson, J.R., Collins, D.F., Weber, D.J., Aung, S.K.H., Donelan, J.M. 2010. Scaling of sensorimotor control in terrestrial mammals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 277:3563-3568. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0898 Note correction here: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/281/1793/20141911?cpetoc

32. Paxton, H.P., Anthony, N.B., Corr, S.A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2010. The effects of selective breeding on the architectural properties of the pelvic limb in broiler chickens: a comparative study across modern and ancestral populations. Journal of Anatomy 217:153-166. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2010.01251.x

31. Ren, L., Miller, C., Lair, R., Hutchinson, J.R. 2010. Integration of biomechanical compliance, leverage, and power in elephant limbs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 107:7078-7082. (see explanatory webpage at: http://www.rvc.ac.uk/SML/Research/Stories/Elephants2010.cfm) doi: 10.1073/pnas.0911396107

30. Allen, V., Ellsey, R., Jones, N., Wright, J., Hutchinson, J.R. 2010. Functional specialisation and ontogenetic scaling of limb anatomy in Alligator mississippiensis. Journal of Anatomy 216:423-445. [cover image] doi : 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01202.x  Note Erratum in J Anat 219:542-547.

 

29. Pontzer, H., Allen, V., Hutchinson, J.R. 2009. Biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs. PLoS ONE 4(11): e7783. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007783

28. Allen, V., Paxton, H., Hutchinson, J.R. 2009. Variation in center of mass estimates for extant sauropsids, and its importance for reconstructing inertial properties of extinct archosaurs. Anatomical Record 292:1442–1461. doi:  10.1002/ar.20973

27. Gatesy, S.M, Baeker, M., Hutchinson, J.R. 2009. Constraint-based exclusion of limb poses for reconstructing theropod dinosaur locomotion. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29:535

Prof. Hutchinson teaches in the BSc/Gateway 1st year course's "Inheritance, Genetics and Evolution" module and the 3rd year BSc course's "Comparative Animal Locomotion" module as well as intermittent teaching elsewhere. His team regularly supervises undergraduate and MSc/MRes student research projects. Potential project students are encouraged to contact him to explore options.

Prof. Hutchinson is passionate about science communication as a vital part of what scientists do for science, for society and for fun.

John regularly participates in science communication events worldwide, both in person and via the internet. His research has been featured in over 500 online/print news stories since 2002, and his team's work has appeared in 18 major TV documentaries including the BAFTA award-winning original "Inside Nature's Giants" programme, the 2015 hit "T. rex Autopsy" and the 2016 smash "Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur" as well as 2018's "Attenborough and the Giant Elephant", "The Real T. rex With Chris Packham" and Hannibal's Elephant Army: The New Evidence". He was the 2012 winner of the British Science Festival's Charles Darwin Award. John also actively communicates science via social networking such as his personal Twitter account.

John runs a science-related personal blog, too: What's In John's Freezer? And his team has an anatomy blog/social media accounts for general audiences “Anatomy to You”: http://anatomytoyou.com/, Twitter @AnatomyToYou (started in 2016).

He also co-wrote a blog post on "Self-promotion: shame­lessly selfish or shame­fully misunderstood?" Another of his posts, on the recent revival and general popularity of anatomical research, gained wide popularity. Science writer Ed Yong's posts on his team's dissection of a komodo dragon and study of the waddling gaits of penguins are excellent representations of their research.

MUSEUM EXHIBITS

Prof. Hutchinson was a consultant on Theropod Biomechanics at the American Museum of Natural History's "Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries" exhibit, still touring other museums since 2004.

He is also the Chief Paleontology Advisor for the wonderfully interactive "Be the Dinosaur" exhibit, also touring museums in the USA; since 2005: Be the Dinosaur.

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