Melissa Marks

Graduate Student

I am interested in studying the evolution of hominin locomotion — How did our ancestors locomote? How did they transition to obligate bipedalism? — and would like to incorporate cortical and trabecular bone analyses, finite element analysis, and geometric morphometrics.

mnmarks@uchicago.edu

2026 - present

Integrative Biology Graduate Student, University of Chicago

Summer 2026

Graduate Summer Research Fellowship, University of Chicago

2023 - 2025

Anthropology M.A., University of Central Florida

2017 - 2022

Anthropology B.A. (Summa Cum Laude), University of Central Florida

Education and Training

Publications

2022

Marks, M.N. (2022). Evaluating Morphometric Analysis of the Talus for Biological Sex Assessment in Ancient Maya and Egyptian Archaeological Populations. Honors Thesis. UCF STARS.

2025

Marks, M.N. (2025). Sex Estimation Using Linear and Geometric Morphometric Analyses of the Adult Human Talus. Masters Thesis. UCF STARS.