CV
Education
2019 - 2024
PhD in Earth & Environmental Sciences
Department of Earth and Environmnetal Sciences
University of Michigan
2017 - 2019
MSc. in Ecology & Evolution
Department of Zoology
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ
2013 - 2016
BSc. in Biological Sciences
Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UniRio
Publications
2024 - Figueroa, RT, Weinschutz, LC, Giles, S, Friedman, M. Soft-tissue fossilization illuminates the stepwise evolution of the ray-finned fish brain. Current Biology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.027
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2024 - Scheffler, S, Figueroa, RT, Videira-Santos, R, Costa da Silva, R, Bosetti, EP. New chondrichyan remains from the Devonian of Brazil and their implications for Devonian vertebrate distribution. Historical Biology, https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2390519
2023 - Figueroa, RT, Goodvin, D, Kolmann, MA, Coates, MI, Caron, AM, Friedman, M, Giles, S. Exceptional fossil preservation and evolution of the ray-finned fish brain. Nature, 10.1038/s41586-022-05666-1
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2023 - Kolmann, M, Nagesan, RS, Andres, JV, Borstein, S, Figueroa, RT, Singer, R, Friedman, M, López-Fernández, H. 2023. DiceCT for Fishes: Recommendations for pairing contrast agents with uCT to visualize soft tissues in fishes. Journal of Fish Biology, 10.1111/jfb.15320
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2022 - Figueroa, RT, Andrews, JV. 2022. Fitting fangs in a finite face: a novel fang accommodation strategy in a 280-million-year-old ray-finned fish. Journal of Anatomy, 00: 1-10. : https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13798
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2021 - Figueroa, RT, Weinschutz, LC, Friedman, M. 2021. The oldest Devonian circumpolar ray-finned fish? Biology Letters, 17(3): 2020.0766. 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0766
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2021 - Rezende, JMP, Figueroa, RT, Ponciano, LCMO, and Gallo, V. 2021. A new Late Devonian fish fauna from Northeastern Brazil. Historical Biology, 33: 1868452. 10.1080/08912963.2020.1868452
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2020 - Diele-Viegas, LM, Figueroa, RT, Vilela, B, and Rocha, CF. 2020. Are reptiles toast? A worldwide evaluation of Lepidosauria vulnerability to climate change. Climatic Change, 10584-5. 10.1007/s10584-020-02687-5
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2019 - Figueroa, RT, Friedman, M and Gallo, V 2019. Cranial anatomy of the predatory actinopterygian Brazilichthys macrognathus from the Permian (Cisuralian) Pedra de Fogo Formation, Parnaiba Basin, Brazil. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, e1639722. 10.1080/02724634.2019.1639722
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2018 - Figueroa, RT and Machado, DMC 2018. The Paleozoic ichthyofauna of the Amazonas and Parnaíba basins, Brazil. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 82: 122-132. 10.1016/j.jsames.2018.01.001
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2017 - Figueroa, RT and Gallo, V 2017. New chondrichthyan fin spines from the Pedra de Fogo Formation, Brazil. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 76: 389-396. 10.1016/j.jsames.2017.03.015
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2016 - Figueroa, RT, Miguel, R and Gallo, V 2016. New sarcopterygians from the Carboniferous Poti Formation and from the Permian Rio do Rasto Formation, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia, 19: 401-406.
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2016 - Figueroa, RT and Machado, DMC 2016. Paleozoic Ichthyofauna of the Pimenteira Formation (Devonian), Parnaíba Basin, PI, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia, 19: 491-504. [in Portuguese]
Awards
& Scholarships
2024 - MCZ Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship
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2023 - Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship
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2021 - Society of Systematic Biologists Graduate Student Award
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2021 - Turner Grant (Umich EARTH Dept.)
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​2020 - Tinker Field Research Grant​
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2019 - Turner Grant (Umich EARTH Dept.)
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2018 - Mestrado Nota 10 FAPERJ
(FAPERJ Excellence MSc fellowship)
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2017 - Best student oral & poster presentation at PALEO RJ-ES
Teaching
2023 - EARTH 436 Brazil's Geology and Environment
University of Michigan
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2021 - EARTH 467 Basin Analysis and Stratigraphy
Professor: Dr. Naomi Levin
University of Michigan
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2020 - EARTH 210 Introduction to Physical Geography
Professor: Dr. James Gleason
University of Michigan
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2020 - EARTH 120 Geology of National Parks
Professor: James Gleason
University of Michigan
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2018 - Vertebrate Paleontology & Evolution
Professor: Valeria Gallo
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Outreach
2023 - Figueroa, RT. Q&A on fossil fish brains for the Colecionadores de Ossos YouTube channel.
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2020 - Figueroa, RT, Machado, H, Holgado, B, Ferreira, G. Em Busca da Bolsa Perdida! Roundtable on PhD applications outside Brazil. In: PALEO RJ ES 2020. 2 hours
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2018 - Figueroa, RT and Diele-Viegas, LM. Paleoecology – integrating paleontological and recent data to understand past and recent climate change. In: Semana de Biologia da UNIRIO. (Short Course) 8 hours
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2018 - Figueroa, RT. Fossil Preparation methodologies. In: Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UNIRIO. (Short Course) 4 hours
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2017 - Figueroa, RT. The evolutionary history of fishes. In: Universidade do Contestado, UnC, Mafra. (Lecture) 1 hour
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2017 - Figueroa, RT. Fossil Preparation methodologies. In: Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UNIRIO. (Short Course) 4 hours
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2017 - Figueroa, RT. Dinosaur: The paleontology behind the Disney Movie. In: GeoQuintas, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. (Round Table, Science Dissemination) 1 hour
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2017 - Figueroa, RT and Carvalho, IS. Jurassic Park and Paleontology. In: GeoQuintas, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. (Round Table, Science Dissemination) 1 hour
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2017 - Figueroa, RT and Paiva, HCL. Curatorial Methods: Mechanical and Chemical Preparation. In: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ. (Lecture) 1 hour
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2016 - Machado, DMC; Figueroa, RT; Pereira, AJR; Santos, IB; Resende, JMP. Fossils and Fossilization. In: Colégio Pedro Segundo. (Short Course to Elementary School) 4 hours
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2016 - Figueroa, RT. Paleozoic fishes from the North and Northeast Brazil. Department of Earth Sciences, University of California Riverside – UCR (Lecture) 1 hour
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2015 - Machado, DMC; Pereira, AJR; Santos, IB; Figueroa, RT; Santos, LB and Ribeiro, DL. Fossils and Fossilization. In: Colégio Pedro Segundo. (Short Course to Elementary School) 4 hours
Skills &
Experience
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Scientific photography
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Scientific illustration
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3D modeling (Blender, MeshLab)
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CT-scanning (Nikon, ZEISS)
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Segmentation (Mimics, Avizo, 3D Slicer)
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Vertebrate Paleontology Fieldwork
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Geologic Mapping
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Fossil preparation (mechanical, chemical)
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Phylogenetic analysis
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Morphometrics