About
Tea Maho is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto, working under the supervision of Dr. Robert Reisz. Her research sits at the intersection of vertebrate paleontology, dental biology, and evolutionary morphology — with a particular focus on the dentition, growth patterns, and histology of early amniotes and synapsids from the Permian period.
Using techniques including bone histology, computed tomography (CT) scanning, and scientific illustration, Tea reconstructs the biology of animals that lived over 250 million years ago. Her work has been published in journals including Science, Nature Communications, Current Biology, and PLoS ONE.
Tea completed her undergraduate training at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where she developed her expertise in vertebrate morphology and fossil preparation. She is a committed science communicator and illustrator, dedicated to making deep-time biology accessible and visually compelling.
Affiliations
- ·Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
- ·Reisz Vertebrate Palaeontology Lab
- ·University of Toronto Mississauga (B.Sc.)
Research Areas
Vertebrate Paleontology
Systematic and morphological study of early amniotes and synapsids, with particular emphasis on Permian taxa from Richards Spur, Oklahoma.
Dental Biology
Comparative analysis of tooth morphology, replacement patterns, and heterodonty across early amniote lineages and extant analogues.
Bone Histology
Thin-section preparation and microscopic analysis of bone and dental tissues to infer growth rates, life history, and physiology.
Computed Tomography
Neutron and X-ray CT imaging for non-destructive visualization of internal anatomy and microstructure in fossil and extant specimens.
Scientific Illustration
Anatomical reconstruction and specimen documentation that bridges research communication and public engagement with deep-time biology.