John A. Ruben

                            Address: Dept of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-2914

                       Phone: 541-737-5347                        Fax: 541-737-0501

                            E-Mail: rubenj@bcc.orst.edu

My interests in zoology center on vertebrate paleobiology. My background encompasses a variety of disciplines, including physiology, morphology, and paleontology. I teach courses in Dinosaur Biology (Z 315), Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (Z 422/522), Vertebrate Physiology (respiratory and cardiovascular) (Z 432/532) and Environmental Physiology (Z423/523).

I work closely with my graduate students and maintain an active research program. Previous publications from my lab have dealt extensively the evolution of the vertebrate skeleton, specifically why vertebrates maintain a phosphatic, rather than an invertebrate-like calcitic skeleton. Currently, research in my lab focuses on a variety of intriguing problems associated with the evolution of endothermy, in birds, mammals and their ancestors. With a view toward providing broad new insight into questions such as when and why endothermy evolved, ongoing NSF-funded research in my laboratory ranges from CAT-scan analysis of 200 million year old fossil mammal-like reptile skulls to sophisticated analysis of songbird respiratory physiology. Presently, for example, my graduate students and I are close to resolving long-standing questions about the metabolic status of dinosaurs and early (Mesozoic Era) birds (for a popular account, see December,'96, Discovery Magazine: "A Cold, Hard Look at Dinosaurs," pps. 98-108.).

Representative Recent Publications:

2001      Jones, T. D., J. A. Ruben, P. F. A. Maderson, L. D. Martin. Longisquama fossil and feather morphology. Science, 291: 1899-1902.

 

2000      Ruben, J. A., Jones, T. D. Selective factors associated with the origin of fur and feathers. American Zoologist, 40: 585-596

 

2000      Jones, T. D., J. O. Farlow, J. A. Ruben, D. M. Henderson, W. J. Hillenius. Cursoriality in bipedal archosaurs. Nature, 406: 716-718..

 

2000      Jones, T. D., Ruben, J. A., Martin, L. D., Kurochkin, E., Feduccia, A., Maderson, P., Hillenius, W. J., Geist, N. R. Nonavian feathers in a late Triassic archosaur. Science, 288: 2202-2205.  

1999      Ruben, J. A., DalSasso, C., Geist, N.R., Hillenius, W. J., Jones, T. D., Signore, M. New evidence for pulmonary function and metabolic physiology of theropod dinosaurs. Science 283: 514-516.  

1998      Ruben, J. A. et al.  Respiratory physiology of the dinosaurs.  BioEssays, 20:852-859.

 

1997      Ruben, J. A. et al.  Lung structure and ventilation in theropod dinosaurs and early birds, Science, 278:1267-1270. 

 

1996      Ruben, J.A. The evolution of endothermy in mammals, birds and their ancestors.  In “Animals and Temperature,” eds.,  I. Johnston and A.F. Bennett.  Cambridge University Press, London.  pp. 359-393

 

1995      Ruben, J.A. The evolution of endothermy: From physiology to fossils.  Annual Review of Physiology, 57: 69-95.