Keegan Melstrom

Keegan Melstrom is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Dinosaur Institute studying how dinosaur teeth have changed through time, especially in response to the appearance and diversification of flowering plants.

Keegan grew up in Cadillac, Michigan far away from dinosaur fossils and the rocks that preserve them. He received his B.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Michigan, where he first worked on dinosaur fossils. Following this, Keegan worked at Ohio University as a fossil preparator and went on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. in Paleontology at the University of Utah. Keegan has conducted paleontological fieldwork throughout the Western US and Ethiopia. His research has focused on how dinosaurs change as they grow up, the relationship between tooth shape and diet in living reptiles, and the diet of extinct crocodile relatives. Keegan’s research has received international press coverage, including articles in The Economist, National Geographic, Agence France-Presse, and the New York Times.