​INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Dr. Robert Reisz's vertebrate palaeontology research group at the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus. The lab has studied a diverse array of animals and biological processes, with a broad focus on Paleozoic and Mesozoic tetrapods, since Robert first began teaching at UTM in 1975, with our current focus centered on the unique early Permian tetrapod assemblage at Richards Spur, Oklahoma and on the evolutionary trends and features of the tetrapod dentition. Overall, we seek to address broad questions related to evolution in deep time and extinct organisms, ranging from transitions in tooth implantation and replacement across major tetrapod clades to the radiation of terrestrial vertebrates in the early Permian. Robert has also ventured into other areas of research, including sauropodomorph dinosaur embryology and growth, the preservation of organic remains within the bones of fossils, and the geological components of the Richards Spur locality in Oklahoma.

Latest publications

  • Rowe, D. C. T., Young, J. M., Boyd, B. P., Bevitt, J. J., & Reisz, R. R. (2025). Appendicular morphology of Mesenosaurus efremovi and the earliest occurrence of a calcaneal tuberosity. Historical Biology, 1–15. DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2025.2586223
  • Mooney, E. D., Maho, T., Rowe, D. C. T.,  Scott, D., & Reisz, R. R. (2025). Massospondylus embryos and hatchling provide new insights into early sauropodomorph ontogeny. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, 144(44). DOI: 10.1186/s13358-025-00382-5
  • Mooney, E. D., Scott, D., & Reisz, R. R. (2025). A new stem saurian reptile from the late Permian of South Africa and insights into saurian evolution: A new stem saurian reptile from the late Permian of South Africa. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, 144(1). DOI: 10.1186/s13358-025-00351-y

  • Reisz, R. R., Rowe, D. C. T., & Bevitt, J. J. (2024). Klastomycter conodentatus , gen et sp. nov., a small early Permian parareptile with conical teeth from Richards Spur, Oklahoma. PeerJ, 12, e18393. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.18393
  • Reisz, R. R., Chatterjee, S., & Modesto, S. P. (2024). A new moradisaurine captorhinid reptile (Amniota: Eureptilia) from the upper Permian of India. PeerJ, 12, e18394. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.18394
  • Osterling Arias, A.F., Mooney, E.D., Bevitt, J.J., Reisz, R.R. (2024) A new trematopid from the lower Permian of Oklahoma and new insights into the genus Acheloma. PLoS One. 19(10), e0309393. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309393
  • Reisz, R. R., Huang, T. D., Chen, C.-M., Tu, S.-J., Tsai, T.-C., Zhong, S., Mooney, E. D., & Bevitt, J. J. (2024). Parental feeding in the dinosaur Lufengosaurus revealed through multidisciplinary comparisons with altricial and precocious birds. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 20309–8. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70981-8
  • Maho, T., Maho, S., Bevitt, J.J., and Reisz, R.R. 2024. Size and shape heterodonty in the early Permian synapsid Mesenosaurus efremovi. Journal of Anatomy. 00, 1-16. DOI: 10.1111/joa.14034
  • Maho, T., Holmes, R. and Reisz, R.R. 2024. Visual methods for documenting the preservation of large-sized synapsids at Richards Spur, in Laurin M., Modesto S. P. & Reisz R. R. (eds), The importance of scientific illustrations in paleontology: a tribute to Diane Scott. Comptes Rendus Palevol 23(7), 95-105.  DOI: 10.5852/cr-palevol2024v23a7
  • deBraga M., Rybczynski, N., and Reisz R. R. 2024.  A methodology for skull reconstruction, in LAURIN M., MODESTO S. P. & REISZ R. R. (eds), The importance of scientific illustrations in paleontology: a tribute to Diane ScottThe importance of scientific illustrations in paleontology: a tribute to Diane Scott. Comptes Rendus Palevol 23 (9): 119-129. DOI: 10.5852/cr-palevol2024v23a9
  • Maho, T. and Reisz, R.R. 2024. Exceptionally rapid tooth development and ontogenetic changes in the feeding apparatus of the Komodo dragon. PLoS ONE. 19(2), e0295002. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295002
  • Reisz, R.R., Maho, T. and Modesto, S.P. 2024. Recumbirostran ‘microsaurs’ are not amniotes. Journal of Systemic Palaeontology. 22(1), 2296078. DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2023.2296078
  • Mooney, E.D., Maho, T., Philp R.P. and Reisz, R.R. 2024. Paleozoic cave system preserves oldest-known evidence of amniote skin. Current Biology. 34, 1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.008
  • Reisz R. R. & deBraga M. 2024. Diane Scott: extraordinary researcher and scientific illustrator in vertebrate paleontology, in Laurin M., Modesto S. P. & ReiszR. R. (eds), The importance of scientific illustrations in paleontology: a tribute to Diane ScottThe importance of scientific illustrations in paleontology: a tribute to Diane Scott. Comptes Rendus Palevol 23 (4): 59-67. DOI: 10.5852/cr-palevol2024v23a4
  • Yang, L., Li, X., Chen, J., and Reisz, R. R. 2024. First discovery of large-bodied dromaeosaurid fossil materials (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Quantou Formation, Songliao Basin, Northeast China. Cretaceous Research, 153, 105711. DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105711
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Site design and construction by Bryan Gee. As of January 2022, webmaster responsibilities are shifting to Tea Maho ([email protected]). Last updated: October 19, 2025.