@heatherfsmith

Editor-in-Chief, The Anatomical Record @AnatRecord. Professor of Anatomy at Midwestern Univ. Evolutionary biologist, paleontologist, and educator.

 Phoenix, AZ
midwestern.edu//academics/our-faculty/heather-smith-phd.xml
Joined August 2008
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I'm deeply honored to be designated a Fellow of the American Association for Anatomy! AAA has been an incredible resource throughout my career, and I'm proud and humbled to be recognized. Congratulations to all the 2023 award recipients! Press release: anatomy.org/AAA/News-Journal…
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🦥 I just learned that today is International Sloth Day! Did you know that sloths still retain surprisingly complex hand musculature despite having reduced numbers of digits? #internationSlothday
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In a recent study we compared hand anatomy of anteaters & sloths, from semiarboreal tamandua to highly suspensory 2-toed sloth w/dissections & microCT. While digit loss doesn't always lead to muscle loss, increasingly suspensory species have strengthened structures for hanging – at Sun City, AZ
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Dr. Heather F. Smith retweeted
The Anatomical Record@AnatRecordOct 14
We are excited to share our latest issue, featuring a variety of incredible papers! Issue Link: anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wi… The cover for this issue features a paper describing cranial fossils of proteid salamander Mioproteus wezei by Syromyatnikova: doi.org/10.1002/ar.70112
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🦖 Happy National Fossil Day & World Anatomy Day (tomorrow)! Anatomy connects living organisms to their evolutionary past. As a paleontologist & journal editor, I’m amazed by how much we have yet to discover about life’s structure & diversity #NationalFossilDay #WorldAnatomyDay – at Sun City, AZ
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New GIS-based study confirms regional continuity of the Cliff House Sandstone from Tsaya to Chaco Canyons & reveals stronger eastward dip/thinning in upper horizon—matching known depositional patterns. Read the full paper: mdpi.com/4115928

Quantitative GIS-Based Correlation of the Cliff House Sandstone Between Tsaya and Chaco Canyons,...

Regional correlation of laterally continuous sandstone bodies is commonly hindered by discontinuous exposure within geometrically asymmetric basins of the Laramide province from the Late Cretaceous...

mdpi.com
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📢New publication alert! 📢 I'm thrilled to share our new article, “Quantitative GIS‑based correlation of the Cliff House Sandstone between Tsaya and Chaco Canyons, New Mexico.” doi.org/10.3390/stratsedimen…
🤖 Made with AI
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Resulting residual profiles provide quantitative evidence for regional continuity of lower & upper Cliff House horizons across the study area. The upper horizon dips more steeply eastward than the lower horizon, producing progressive eastward thinning of the intervening interval
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Beyond the specific geology, we’re also excited about the workflow itself, which offers a rapid and reproducible way to evaluate regional stratigraphic correlation in areas where continuous exposure is limited, complementing traditional field-based approaches.
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Dr. Heather F. Smith retweeted
The Anatomical Record@AnatRecordSep 30
More turtle research please(-iobaena)! Research on the fossil turtle Plesiobaena antiqua reveals variation in its skull/jaws. Micro-CT shows developmental changes and shifts toward hard prey, offering clues to baenid evolution. Study by Bellotti et al.: doi.org/10.1002/ar.70352
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Nice write-up by Midwestern University on the recent summit for rural STEM educators: midwestern.edu/news-stories/… – at Sun City, AZ
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Dr. Heather F. Smith retweeted
The Anatomical Record@AnatRecordSep 23
A fresh look at historic mosasaur fossils from Belgium! A new study by Sharpe et al. confirms Mosasaurus lemonnieri as a valid species, describes a new mosasaurine, Thoraxion tahlequahae & reveals new insights into mosasaur anatomy, variation & evolution anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wi…
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🐶Excited to share that our chapter on canid anatomy and special senses has been published in a new volume on Canine Science! link.springer.com/chapter/10… – at Sun City, AZ
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Catch-up post from my recent trip to the amazing Melbourne Museum. #FossilFriday – at Melbourne, Victoria
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On a recent trip to Melbourne, I was excited to meet an icon. “Horridus” is an authentic, 67 Ma Triceratops horridus skeleton on permanent display at Melbourne Museum. Each element was digitally scanned, and several are presented as interactive, rotating holograms #FossilFriday – at Sun City, AZ
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Fossils comprise irreplaceable scientific data. I was pleased to contribute to this article on the challenges that fossil commercialization poses for paleontological research and scientific publishing. – at Sun City, AZ
American Association for Anatomy@AnatomyOrgAug 20
Gus spent roughly 67 million years becoming priceless. In 10 minutes, he was sold for $50.13 million. Should pieces of the natural world that let us understand the past be commodities at all, and what happens to science when they are? Read more here: anatomy.org/ANATOMY/News-Jou… #AAA
Photo of Gus the TRex skull and neck by Jordan Tovin/Reuters

ALT Photo of Gus the TRex skull and neck by Jordan Tovin/Reuters

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Having fun representing @AnatRecord at #IFAA2026! #Anatomy2026 – at Melbourne, Victoria
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Dr. Heather F. Smith retweeted
The Anatomical Record@AnatRecordAug 6
Pleased to share our latest special issue: Feeding biomechanics in vertebrates & beyond! It brings together studies spanning insects, fishes & mammals to explore feeding biomechanics anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wi… Guest Editors: Christine Böhmer & Daniela E. Winkler
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So proud of our Summer Veterinary Research Scholars! Today they gave their practice poster presentations before heading off to present their research at an upcoming national conference. Great work and safe travels to Isabel Piccinini, JC Cruz & Jessica Cavaliere! – at Sun City, AZ
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Honored to be part of this award-winning special issue & grateful to see our work recognized with a 2026 APEX Award for Publication Excellence! Congratulations to guest editors, authors, reviewers & everyone who contributed to highlighting the incredible fossil record of China – at Sun City, AZ
The Anatomical Record@AnatRecordJul 28
AR has received an APEX Award for Publication Excellence for the special issue "Looking into Chinese Fossils: Paleobiology, Evolution, and Biodiversity", which showcases exceptional fossil discoveries from China—from ancient dinosaurs to insects anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wi…
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