Evolution over millions of years has shaped the diversity of forms and functions we see today in bird and reptilian eggs. Eggs are multifunctional structures that respond to ambient conditions during incubation and allowed early vertebrates to colonize new habitats.
This study investigates the effects of ecological factors on the evolution of eggshell structure and functional properties in reptiles. I also want to understand how eggshell properties have influenced the diversification of reptilian lineages. I am using an extensive comparative dataset on nesting ecology (e.g. ambient humidity, temperature), eggshell structure obtained from museum collections and I perform tests of optical, antimicrobial and biomechanical performance of eggshells.