Dinova - Kimberley Chapelle
Dr Kimi Chapelle - Vertebrate Palaeontologist; Postdoctoral Fellow Evolutionary Studies Institute - University of the Witwatersrand and the American Museum of Natural History; Mail and Guardian 200 Young South Africans awardee; #dinosaurs #sauropodomorphs #dinosaureggs #dinosaurbabies #CTscanning
Her Research: “Basal sauropodomorph dinosaurs are my jam, especially the baby ones! These dinosaurs are about 5m long from head to tail, they weigh approximately 500kgs, walk on two legs, eat plants, have long necks and small heads. They're an important group because they give rise to the giants we all know and love like Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus, the largest land animals to have roamed the Earth.
My research over the past few years has mainly focused on the fabulous and iconic southern African dinosaur, Massospondylus carinatus (200 million years old). Using a multidisciplinary approach that includes CT-scanning, osteohistology, anatomy and statistics I explore how these creatures grow, move and evolve. At the moment I am mainly working on dinosaur eggs from South Africa and Argentina. I have used high powered scanning methods to look at the babies still in the eggs. I can reconstruct them digitally and in 3D. This allows me to better understand how these animals develop and form.”
Her Superpowers:
Micro-computed tomography scanning (i.e. CT scanning): This allows me to peer inside fossils, including baby dinosaurs that are still in their eggs for example. I can then reconstruct them digitally, put the skeletons back together, study them, describe them and better understand how dinosaurs grew.
Osteohistology: This involves looking at thin sections of dinosaur bones under the microscope. It is amazing the level of detail that you get. You can see the spaces where individual bone cells used to be. This type of work allows me to determine how fast a dinosaur grew, how old it was when it died, and sometimes, if it was sick.
Her Strengths as a Scientist: “I am a strong believer that collaboration makes science move forward. Some of my favourite papers have been those that involved colleagues from around the world. Everyone brings something different to the table and approaches a question in a slightly different way. This really makes for better and more thorough work.”
What Sparked Her Interest in Science: “I've loved science since before I can remember. My dad used to be a medical doctor and I was fascinated by his stories on various cases and emergency responder work. In high school, I focused on all scientific subjects and thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. I started a bachelor of science in Animal, Plant and Environmental Science at Wits University and realised that veterinarian work was not for me. I was unsure which direction to go in until I took a third year introduction to palaeontology course. I was hooked. It was the perfect combination of evolution and anatomy, two of my favourite things. At the end of my first lecture I walked up to the lecturer and asked him to be my Honours advisor. I ended up doing an Honours, Masters and PhD with him.
Have You Ever Failed at Anything: “Science and academia make up a wonderful world. But, it is also a very competitive world. For every success and achievement, there will be many more failures. This is normal. This is not necessarily a reflection of you, your worth or the value of your work. I have received many rejection letters for various things over the years, and it is so important to be able to take constructive criticism. Use it to improve and try again.”
Her Heroes:
Sir David Attenborough - I have loved all of his books and documentaries. He has had such a fascinating life and he portrays the world we live in in a magical way that instills wonder and curiosity.
Eliud Kipchoge - He is an amazing long distance runner from Kenya and currently holds the world record for fastest marathon. He is a phenomenal athlete that does everything with humility and incredible determination.
All of my female colleagues - There are some seriously admirable and hardcore female scientists out there and I am so pleased I get to work with them.
Her Top Tip: “Balance. No matter what you do, make sure you lead a balanced life. Work hard, but play hard too. It is so important to look after yourself, both mentally and physically, and to make the time for the things you love.”
Her Ranking of What’s Most Import to Succeed: Curiosity, hard work, communication, creativity.
What Else Do You Need? Collaboration, team work, open mindedness
Perks of the Job: “One of my favourite parts of my job is the traveling and field work. Dinosaurs are found on every continent, and their fossils are distributed in museums around the world. I have been very fortunate and have been able to travel to many countries to study them. I also absolutely love looking for and digging up fossils. I have done field work in some beautiful places and have met wonderful people along the way."
Follow her work: Twitter:@Kimi_Chap