Postdoctoral researcher
Hominin Origins Research Group

Contact information:

• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Address: Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. ICTA-ICP Building, c/ Columnes s/n, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.

Profiles and Identifiers:

• ORCID: 0000-0003-2504-3886
• Google Scholar: Nicole Torres-Tamayo

Abbreviated curriculum vitae

I am an evolutionary biologist and paleoanthropologist specializing in the morphology and functional anatomy of the human and non-human primate musculoskeletal system. My current research focuses on the evolution of childbirth in the human lineage and across primates, which I investigate through comparative anatomy, biomechanics, and virtual anthropology. More broadly, my work explores the evolutionary adaptations of the torso and pelvis, integrating 3D geometric morphometrics and statistical shape modelling to study locomotion and obstetrics in hominins and other primates.

I completed my PhD research in the Department of Paleobiology at Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), focusing on the reconstruction and evolution of the body shape in the genus Homo. Following my doctoral training, I held a Leverhulme Trust-funded postdoctoral position at the School of Life and Health Sciences of University of Roehampton and at the Department of Anthropology of University College London, where I investigated the evolutionary constraints of human childbirth and cephalopelvic relationships in primates. I subsequently joined the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at University of Zurich, where I worked on a Swiss National Science Foundation project focused on the reconstruction of hominin pelves and their functional implications for childbirth.

Currently, I am a member of the newly established Hominin Origins Research Group led by Ashley Hammond at Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. My current work at the ICP focuses on the evolutionary morphology of the hominin postcranial skeleton, combining comparative anatomy, biomechanics, and virtual anthropology approaches.

I also lead the study of the original Neanderthal pelvic remains from El Sidrón cave (Asturias, Spain) in collaboration with Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid, Spain), as well as the original pelvic remains from the UW 105 site in South Africa, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany) and the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa). In addition, I lead research on the lower limbs remains from Dmanisi (Georgia) hominins, focusing on locomotor and postcranial evolution in early members of the genus Homo.

In addition, I have accumulated over 350 hours of teaching, mentoring, and student supervision experience across several international institutions such as University College London and University of Zurich. Beyond research and teaching, I am actively engaged in scientific outreach, editorial activities, and open science initiatives, promoting accessibility, reproducibility, and transparency in paleoanthropological research.

Most relevant publications:

• Torres-Tamayo, N., Schlager, S., Hirasaki, E., Smith, T.D., Rae, T.C., Betti, L. (accepted). Comparative primate analysis shows that humans are not unique in having a tight cephalopelvic fit at birth. Nature Ecology and Evolution.
• Torres-Tamayo, N., VanSickle, C., Woodert, M., Haeusler, M., Schlager, S. (2025). Statistical Shape Modelling as a novel reconstruction tool in Paleoanthropology: a case study on fossil pelves. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 16(11), 2569-2584. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.70154
• Torres-Tamayo, N., Bastir, M., VanSickle, C., Tabernero, A. G., de la Rasilla, M., Rosas, A. (2025). New insights into the Neanderthal pelvis morphology based on a partial os coxae from El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain). Journal of Human Evolution, 203, 103666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103666
• Torres-Tamayo, N., Buck, L. T., Hirasaki, E., Rae, T. C., Betti, L. (2025). Variation in pubic symphysis fusion across primates: implications for obstetric adaptation. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 186(2), e25064. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.25064
• Torres-Tamayo, N., Rae, T. C., Hirasaki, E., Betti, L. (2024). Testing the reliability of the rearticulation of osteological primate pelves in comparative morphological studies. Anatomical Record, 307(8), 2816-2833. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.25366
• Torres-Tamayo, N., Martelli, S., Schlager, S., García-Martínez, D., Sanchis-Gimeno, J.A., Mata Escolano, F., Nalla, S., Ogihara, N., Oishi, M., Bastir, M. (2020). Assessing thoraco-pelvic covariation in Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes: A 3D geometric morphometric approach. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 173, 514-534. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24103
• Torres-Tamayo, N., Schlager, S., García-Martínez, D., Sanchis-Gimeno, J.A., Nalla, S., Ogihara, N., Oishi, M., Martelli, S., Bastir, M. (2020). 3D geometric morphometrics of thorax-pelvis covariation and its potential for predicting the thorax morphology: A case study on Kebara 2 Neandertal. Journal of Human Evolution, 147, 102893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.08.002
• Torres-Tamayo, N., García-Martínez, D., Nalla, S., Barash, A., Williams, S.A., Blanco-Pérez, E., Mata-Escolano, F., Sanchis-Gimeno, J.A., Bastir, M. (2018). The torso integration hypothesis revisited in Homo sapiens: contributions to the understanding of hominin body shape evolution. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 167(4), 777-790. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23705
• Torres-Tamayo, N., García-Martínez, D., Lois-Zlolniski, S., Torres-Sánchez, I., García-Río, F., Bastir, M. (2018). 3D analysis of sexual dimorphism in size, shape, and breathing kinematics of human lungs. Journal of Anatomy, 232(2), 227-237. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12743