Jessie Atterholt, PhD
Assistant Professor
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Website: jessieatterholt.com
Join year: 2018
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 2015
B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 2009
University of Toledo Plastination Workshop, 2014
Assistant Professor, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA June 2018 - Present
Teaching Faculty, The Webb Schools, Claremont, CA June 2015-May 2018
Adjunct Faculty—MSMS Intensive Summer Anatomy Course, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, Summer 2017
Teaching Fellow, Junior Scholar’s Paleontology Program; The Webb Schools, Claremont, CA, July 2015; July 2016; July 2017
Volunteer Instructor for Bay Area Scientists in Schools Spring 2010-2015
Graduate Student Instructor, University of California, Berkeley, 2011-2014
Instructor for Girls Educational and Mentoring Services After-school Program Oct. 2011; Mar. 2012
Teaching Assistant, GEOL125 - Earth and Life Through Time, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pennsylvania Spring 2007; Spring 2009
Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
International Society for Plastination
J. Atterholt, J. K. O’Connor, H. You. In review. Osteohistology of enantiornithine birds from the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation. Geobios.
J. K. O’Connor, J. Atterholt, A. D. Clark, L. Zhou, C. Peng, X. Zhang, H. You. In review. Enantiornithine (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation with an unusually short pubis. Geobios.
J. K. O'Connor, J. Atterholt, A. Bailleul, M. Wang, Z. Zhou. Accepted. Description and osteohistology of two early immature enantiornithines (Avews: Ornithothoraces) from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. Geobios.
Schachner ER, Moore AJ, Martinez A, Diaz RE Jr, Echols MS, Atterholt J, W P Kissane R, Hedrick BP, Bates KT. The respiratory system influences flight mechanics in soaring birds. Nature. 2024 Jun 12. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07485-y. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38867039.
M. Wedel & J. Atterholt. Expanded neurocentral joints in the vertebrae of sauropod dinosaurs. 2023. Proceedings of the Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems Conference.
Atterholt J, Wedel MJ. A computed tomography-based survey of paramedullary diverticula in extant Aves. Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2022 Jan;306(1):29-50. doi: 10.1002/ar.24923. Epub 2022 Apr 7. PMID: 35338748; PMCID: PMC10084189.
J. Atterholt & M. Wedel. A CT-based survey of paramedullary diverticula in extant Aves. The Anatomical Record :1-22. DOI:10.1002/ar.24923
J. Atterholt & H. N. Woodward. A histological survey of avian post-natal skeletal ontogeny. PeerJ, 9:e12160. 2021
M. Wedel, J. Atterholt, A.C. Dooley Jr., S. Farooq, J. Macalino, T.K. Nalley, G. Wisser, J. Yasmer. Expanded neural canals in the caudal vertebrae of a specimen of Haplocanthosaurus. Academia Letters, Article 911. 2021
J. Atterholt, A.W. Poust, G.E. Erickson, J.K. O’Connor. Intraskeletal Osteohistovariability Reveals Complex Growth Strategies in a Late Cretaceous Enantiornithine. Frontiers in Earth Science 9:640220. 2021
J. Atterholt, J.H. Hutchison, J.K. O’Connor. The most complete enantiornithine from North America and a phylogenetic analysis of the Avisauridae. PeerJ, 6:e5910; DOI10.7717/peerj.5910. 2018
J.K. O'Connor, D. Li, M.C. Lamanna, M. Wang, J.D. Harris, J. Atterholt, H. You. A new Early Cretaceous enantiornithine (Aves, Ornithothoraces) from northwestern China with elaborate tail ornamentation. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36(1), e1054035. 2016
R.L. Nudds, J. Atterholt, X. Wang, H. You, G.J. Dyke. Locomotory abilities and habitat of the Cretaceous bird Gansus yumenensis inferred from limb length proportions. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 26 (1), 150–154. 2012
S. Ji, J. Atterholt, J.K. O'Connor, M.C. Lamanna, J.D. Harris, D. Li, H. You, P. Dodson. A new, three-dimensionally preserved enantiornithine bird (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from Gansu Province, north-western China. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162(1), 201–219. 2011
H. You, J. Atterholt, J.K. O'Connor, J.D. Harris, M.C. Lamanna, D. Li. A second Cretaceous ornithuromorph bird from the Changma Basin, Gansu Province, northwestern China. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 55 (4), 617–625. 2010
Select Academic Presentations, Posters, & Published Abstracts
E.R. Schachner, A.D. Moore, A. Martinez, R.E. Diaz Jr., M.S. Echols, J. Atterholt, R. Kissane, B.P. Hedrick, K.T. Bates. 2024. The subpectoral diverfticulum in hawks and other soaring birds: not just another air sac. Society of Integrative & Comparative Biology Meeting.
J. Atterholt, J.K. O’Connor, H. You. 2023. Osteohistology of enantiornithine birds from the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation in Changma, northwestern China. 10th International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution.
A. Dooley, D. Radford, M. J. Wedel, J. Atterholt, T. Nalley. “Broader impacts”, An exhibit program focused on basic research. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 38:123A. 2020
A. Dooley, D. Radford, M. J. Wedel, J. Atterholt, T. Nalley. “Broader impacts”, An exhibit program focused on basic research. Geological Society of America: Cordilleran Section. Pasadena, CA. 2020
J. Atterholt & M. Wedel. Neural canal ridges: A novel osteological correlate of post-cranial neurology in dinosaurs. 67th Symposium on Vertebrate Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy, Programs and Abstracts:4 / PeerJ Preprints 7:e27967v1. 2019
M.J. Wedel, J. Atterholt, J. Macalino, T. Nalley, G. Wisser, J. Yasmer. Reconstructing an unusual specimen of Haplocanthosaurus using a blend of physical and digital techniques. 1st Palaeontological Virtual Congress, Programs an Abstracts / PeerJ Preprints. 6:e27431v1. 2018
J. Atterholt & M. Wedel. A CT-based survey of supramedullary diverticula in extant birds. 66th Symposium on Vertebrate Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy, Programs and Abstracts:30 / PeerJ Preprints 6:e27201v2. 2018
J. Atterholt. A study of the influence of post-natal development on avian evolution. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(suppl.3):81A. 2015
J. Atterholt. Dissecting Dinosaurs: the use of research specimens in high school biology classrooms to engage students as citizen scientists and promote scientific literacy. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(suppl.3):80A. 2013
J. Atterholt. Evolution of the avialan altricial-precocial spectrum and implications for enantiornithine development. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(suppl.3):64–65A. 2011
J. Atterholt, J. O’Connor, J. Harris, H. You, D. Li. Avian taxonomic diversity and anatomical disparity in the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation of the Changma Basin, Gansu Province, People’s Republic of China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(suppl.3):55A. 2010
M. Lamanna, D. Li, J. Harris, J. Atterholt, H. You. First non-avian dinosaur from the lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Xiagou Formation of the Changma Basin, northwestern China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(suppl.3):119A. 2010
My interests are in the fields of evolutionary biology, vertebrate paleontology, and comparative anatomy. My research is question-driven, and I study a variety of organisms from birds to sauropod dinosaurs by integrating neontological and paleontological data. I am an anatomist, with a personal comparative teaching collection of skeletons, skulls, and plastinated specimens, many of which I have prepared myself. I have a strong interest in science outreach, and maintain a science communicationInstagram account (@theladyanatomica).