Dr Zerina Johanson

Dr Zerina Johanson

Department: Earth Sciences
Division: ES Vertebrates and Anthropology Palaeobiology
Specialisms: Early vertebrate evolution, evolution of dentitions
My research focuses on the evolution and development of the early vertebrate skeleton, focusing on dentitions and the postaxial skeleton. Some current projects include:

Evolution and development of the chondrichthyan dentition, evolution and development of the axial skeleton of jawed vertebrates, including the synarcual, evolution and development of the pufferfish dentition, evolution of the vertebrate dermoskeleton
  • Ph.D, School of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
  • M.Sc, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • B.Sc (Honours), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Highlighted publications

  • Johanson Z (2017) Paleobiology: A Tooth for a Tooth. Current Biology, (3) Elsevier BV : R117 - R119. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.011
  • Thiery AP, Shono T, Kurokawa D, Britz R, Johanson Z, Fraser GJ (2017) Spatially restricted dental regeneration drives pufferfish beak development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, (22) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesdoi: 10.1073/pnas.1702909114
  • Martin KJ, Rasch LJ, Cooper RL, Metscher BD, Johanson Z, Fraser GJ (2016) Sox2+ progenitors in sharks link taste development with the evolution of regenerative teeth from denticles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, (51) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences : 14769 - 14774. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1612354113
  • Underwood C, Smith MM, Johanson Z (2016) Geological Society, London, Special Publications, (1) Geological Society of London : 129 - 136. doi: 10.1144/sp430.7
  • Long JA, Mark-Kurik E, Johanson Z, Lee MSY, Young GC, Min Z, Ahlberg PE, Newman M, Jones R, Blaauwen JD, Choo B, Trinajstic K (2015) Copulation in antiarch placoderms and the origin of gnathostome internal fertilization. Nature, (7533) Springer Science and Business Media LLC : 196 - 199. doi: 10.1038/nature13825
  • Smith MM, Johanson Z, Butts T, Ericsson R, Modrell M, Tulenko FJ, Davis MC, Fraser GJ (2015) Making teeth to order: conserved genes reveal an ancient molecular pattern in paddlefish (Actinopterygii). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, (1805) The Royal Society : 20142700 - 20142700. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2700
  • Smith MM, Riley A, Fraser GJ, Underwood C, Welten M, Kriwet J, Pfaff C, Johanson Z (2015) Early development of rostrum saw-teeth in a fossil ray tests classical theories of the evolution of vertebrate dentitions. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, (1816) The Royal Society : 20151628 - 20151628. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1628
  • Trinajstic K, Boisvert C, Long J, Maksimenko A, Johanson Z (2015) Pelvic and reproductive structures in placoderms (stem gnathostomes). Biological Reviews, (2) Wiley : 467 - 501. doi: 10.1111/brv.12118
  • Welten M, Smith MM, Underwood C, Johanson Z (2015) Evolutionary origins and development of saw-teeth on the sawfish and sawshark rostrum (Elasmobranchii; Chondrichthyes). Royal Society Open Science, (9) The Royal Society : 150189 - 150189. doi: 10.1098/rsos.150189
  • Jude E, Johanson Z, Kearsley A, Friedman M (2014) Early evolution of the lungfish pectoral-fin endoskeleton: evidence from the Middle Devonian (Givetian) Pentlandia macroptera. Frontiers in Earth Science, Frontiers Media SAdoi: 10.3389/feart.2014.00018
  • Johanson Z, Trinajstic K, Carr R, Ritchie A (2013) Evolution and development of the synarcual in early vertebrates. Zoomorphology, (1) Springer Science and Business Media LLC : 95 - 110. doi: 10.1007/s00435-012-0169-9
  • Johanson Z, Smith M, Kearsley A, Pilecki P, Mark-Kurik E, Howard C (2013) Origins of bone repair in the armour of fossil fish: response to a deep wound by cells depositing dentine instead of dermal bone. Biology Letters, (5) The Royal Society : 20130144 - 20130144. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0144
  • Johanson Z, Kearsley A, Den Blaauwen J, Newman M, Smith MM (2012) Ontogenetic development of an exceptionally preserved Devonian cartilaginous skeleton. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution, 318B(1) Wiley : 50 - 58. doi: 10.1002/jez.b.21441
  • Johanson Z, Boisvert C, Maksimenko A, Currie P, Trinajstic K Development of the Synarcual in the Elephant Sharks (Holocephali; Chondrichthyes): Implications for Vertebral Formation and Fusion. Serra R (Eds).PLOS ONE, (9) Public Library of Science (PLoS) : e0135138 - e0135138. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135138
  • Underwood CJ, Johanson Z, Welten M, Metscher B, Rasch LJ, Fraser GJ, Smith MM Development and Evolution of Dentition Pattern and Tooth Order in the Skates And Rays (Batoidea; Chondrichthyes). Viriot L (Eds).PLOS ONE, (4) Public Library of Science (PLoS) : e0122553 - e0122553. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122553