RESEARCH

I am primarily interested in investigating the origin of major vertebrate clades and filling in gaps in the evolutionary tree. Currently, my projects revolve around the origin of the dinosaurs, and investigating their early radiation through the lens of a small, obscure group of close relatives, the silesaurids.

My CV

PUBLICATIONS

Tolchard, F. B., Perkins, B. W., and Nesbitt, S. J. (2025). Silesaurid (Archosauria: Dinosauriformes) remains from the base of the Dockum Group (Late Triassic: Otischalkian) of Texas provide new insights to the North American record of dinosauriforms. The Anatomical Record (early online publication): 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.25677

ORCiD: 0009-0004-7653-6036

CURRENT PROJECTS

Describing the braincase of a silesaurid. What can this braincase tell us about this undersampled portion of the anatomy of early dinosauriforms? What characteristics might it preserve that distinguish it from the dinosaurs?

Describing a well-preserved new taxon of silesaurid. What anatomical details will this new species have that help us better delineate the dinosaurs from their closest relatives? How can this species inform our understanding of the growth and variability of the earliest dinosaurs? What will its presence reveal about the local Triassic ecosystems?

Using 3D geometric morphometrics to distinguish Triassic herbivore teeth. Is there only one way that Triassic archosaurs evolve herbivorous teeth, and therefore highly homoplastic? Can we distinguish isolated herbivore teeth in the fossil record? Can enigmatic species be identified by teeth alone?

Conducting a phylogenetic analysis of the early dinosauriforms and quantifying homoplasy in the tree. Where will the silesaurids fall out in the dinosauriform tree? How do the major branches of Dinosauria relate to each other? How does a high range of anatomical variation impact a tree? What does this tell us about convergence in early evolutionary radiations?

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Perkins, B. W., and Nesbitt, S. J. (2025). Characterizing the braincase anatomy of early dinosauriforms: the braincase of Asilisaurus kongwe and its implications for dinosauriform evolution. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 2025 Program Guide, p. 488

Perkins, B. W., and Reizner, J. A. (2023). The metabolic rate of Einiosaurus procurvicornis determined with phylogenetic eigenvector maps. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 2023 Program Guide, p. 344

Silesauridae TMM 31100 series femora comparison [v1].jpg