Dr. Russell D. C. Bicknell is an evolutionary biologist and palaeobiologist specialising in arthropod functional morphology, biomechanics, and macroevolution.

He completed a BSc (Geology and German), MSc (Geology), and Graduate Diploma of Science (Biology) at Victoria University of Wellington, followed by a PhD in palaeobiology at the University of New England in 2019.

His research combines quantitative morphology, virtual palaeobiology, and ecological theory to investigate performance, injury, and evolutionary trade-offs in fossil and extant invertebrates. 

Dr. Russell D. C. Bicknell’s research expertise lies in evolutionary biology and palaeobiology, with specialisation in arthropod biomechanics, functional morphology, and macroevolutionary patterning. He applies quantitative morphometrics, adaptive landscape analysis, and experimental and virtual palaeobiological approaches to examine organismal performance and evolutionary trade-offs. His work integrates fossil and extant systems, particularly marine invertebrates, to address questions of ecological interaction, and evolution through deep time.

He has strong experience in statistical modelling, comparative methods, and interdisciplinary research linking geology, biology, and biomechanics.

• Arthropod evolution 
• Adaptive landscapes 
• Fossil ecology
• Virtual palaeobiology
• Macroevolutionary dynamics 
• Australian fossil record