Eric Dewar, PhD

Education

• Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Amherst
• M.S. University of Colorado at Boulder
• B.S. Tufts University

Research/Creative Interests

I am a vertebrate paleontologist and anatomist interested in the morphology, evolutionary history, and behavior of fossil mammals. Our lab studies the teeth and bones of living and extinct mammals to understand how they ate, escaped predation, and adapted to niches during the period of time between the extinction of the Mesozoic dinosaurs and the “icehouse" world of today.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that a professor is a mentor and the students are apprentices, but all of us are on the same road toward expertise. The only difference between my students is me is that I am older and have struggled with these ideas longer. I believe that we learn through dialogue, by thinking out loud in writing, and experiencing the natural world together—and that people learn best when they are challenged but safe.

Professional Activities

• Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
• Society for the Study of Evolution
• American Association of Anatomy

Employment History

• 2021-2026 Interim then Co-Chair of Department of Biology and Radiological Sciences
• 2012-present Associate Professor of Biology
• 2006-2012 Assistant Professor of Biology

Recent Scholarly or Creative Contributions

• Dewar, E. W., Gold, M. E. L., & Dwyer, H. (2022). Teaching writing skills in online paleontology and evolution courses. Frontiers in Education, 7, Article 876875. 
• Middleton, M. D., & Dewar, E. W. (2004). New mammals from the early Paleocene Littleton fauna (Denver Formation, Colorado). In S. G. Lucas, K. E. Zeigler, & P. E. Kondrashov (Eds.), Paleogene Mammals (Bulletin of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science No. 26, pp. 59–80).
• Dewar, E. W. (2003). Functional diversity within the Littleton fauna (early Paleocene), Colorado: Evidence from body mass, tooth structure, and tooth wear. PaleoBios, 23(1), 1–19.