Rachel Norris

Research Interests

Anatomy & Morphology Evolutionary Biology

APrf Rachel Norris

Associate Professor

School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences

College of Sciences

Date Position Institution name
2026 - ongoing Academic Lead Adelaide University
2023 - 2025 Deputy Head of School, Animal and Veterinary Sciences The University of Adelaide
2023 - ongoing Associate Professor in Veterinary Anatomy The University of Adelaide
2015 - 2022 Head, Department of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience University of Adelaide
2007 - 2022 Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy The University of Adelaide
1996 - 2007 Wood Jones Lecturer in Comparative Anatomy The University of Adelaide
1992 - 1996 Associate Lecturer in Comparative Anatomy The University of Adelaide

Date Institution name Country Title
The University of Adelaide Australia PhD
The University of Adelaide Australia BSc (Hons: Zoology)
The University of Adelaide Australia BSc (Zoology major)

Year Citation
2026 Martin, E. M., Norris, R. M., Porto, A., & Sherratt, E. (2026). Similarities in Morphological Integration and Evolutionary Potential Across Four Common Foot Forms in Birds. Evolutionary Biology, 53(1), 18 pages.
DOI
2025 Taewcharoen, N., Sherratt, E., Stott, P., & Norris, R. (2025). Revisiting paravertebral muscles in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) (Leporidae; Lagomorpha). Anatomical Record, 36 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2025 Taewcharoen, N., Gunji, M., Norris, R., & Sherratt, E. (2025). Multi-level analysis of morphological variation in the vertebral column of lagomorph mammals. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 38(11), 1533-1547.
DOI
2024 Taewcharoen, N., Norris, R., & Sherratt, E. (2024). Small- to-medium sized mammals show greater morphological disparity in cervical than lumbar vertebrae across different terrestrial modes of locomotion. Ecology and Evolution, 14(6), e11478-1-e11478-26.
DOI Scopus6 WoS6 Europe PMC4
2020 Regnault, S., Fahn-Lai, P., Norris, R. M., & Pierce, S. E. (2020). Shoulder Muscle Architecture in the Echidna (Monotremata: Tachyglossus aculeatus) Indicates Conserved Functional Properties. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 27(4), 591-603.
DOI Scopus22 WoS22
2019 Lucas, T., Smith, B., Norris, R., & Henneberg, M. (2019). Reconstructing body mass of the Australian dingo (Canis dingo) from two simple measurements of the hard palate. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 23, 534-539.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2018 Norris, R., Smith, B., Henneberg, M., & Lucas, T. (2018). Brain size/body weight in the dingo (Canis dingo): comparisons with domestic and wild canids. Australian Journal of Zoology, 65(5), 292-301.
DOI Scopus22 WoS18
2017 Wilkes, A. N., & Norris, R. (2017). Osteological preparation of the white rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum.. Journal of the Institute of Anatomical Sciences, 18, 55-56.
2016 Pols, S., Henneberg, M., & Norris, R. (2016). Cranial Arterial Patterning in Greyhounds: Another Case of Internal Intraspecific Variation. Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series C: Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, 45(3), 161-172.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC4
2014 Zammit, M., Kear, B., & Norris, R. (2014). Locomotory capabilities in the Early Cretaceous ichthyosaur Platypterygius australis based on osteological comparisons with extant marine mammals. Geological Magazine, 151(1), 87-99.
DOI Scopus8 WoS7
2013 Zammit, M., & Norris, R. (2013). Sex determination in adults of two otariid species (Neophoca cinerea and Arctophoca australis forsteri) based on osteology of the pelvis. Marine Mammal Science, 29(4), 515-519.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2010 Zammit, M., Norris, R., & Kear, B. (2010). The Australian Cretaceous ichthyosaur Platypterygius australis: a description and review of postcranial remains. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 30(6), 1726-1735.
DOI Scopus52 WoS50
2008 Anderson, K., Henneberg, M., & Norris, R. (2008). Anatomy of the nasal profile. Journal of Anatomy, 213(2), 210-216.
DOI Scopus53 WoS47 Europe PMC28
2007 Norris, R., Henneberg, M., Kuperavage, A., & Eckhardt, R. (2007). Koalas, Papionines and Humans: understanding variation and diversity in human evolution. Human Evolution: International Journal, 22(1-2), 59-66.
Scopus1
2005 Stephan, C., Norris, R., & Henneberg, M. (2005). Does sexual dimorphism in facial soft tissue depths justify sex distinction in craniofacial identification?. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 50(3), 513-518.
DOI Scopus74 WoS58 Europe PMC34
2002 Coussens, A., Anson, T., Norris, R., & Henneberg, M. (2002). Sexual dimorphism in the robusticity of long bones of infants and young children. Przeglad Antropologiczny, 65, 3-16.
1999 Norris, R. (1999). Testing multiple species hypothesis on frogs. Perspectives in Human Biology, 4, 51-64.
1996 Mahony, M., Norris, R., & Donnellan, S. (1996). Karyotypes of frogs from south-west Pacific Ranid Frogs (Anura:Ranidae). Australian Journal of Zoology, 44(2), 119-128.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2

Year Citation
2019 Ma, C. H. K., Smith, B. P., Wilkes, A. N., & Norris, R. M. (2019). Orbital Angle in the Australian Dingo. In JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY Vol. 280 (pp. S169-S170). WILEY.
2016 Norris, R., Foreman, C., & Stott, P. G. (2016). Musculoskeletal fitness in small mammals: are captive bred individuals for for the wild?. In Anatomical Record Vol. 299 (pp. 251). Washington DC, USA: Wiley.
2010 Norris, R., & Wilkes, A. (2010). Diet or locomotion? An investigation into the morphology of the Vombatiformes. In Journal of Morphology. Punta del Este, Uruguay: Wiley.
2007 Norris, R., Eckhardt, R., Kuperavage, A., & Henneberg, M. (2007). Morphological variation within primate species: papionines versus koalas. In American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2007; 132 (S44): p.43 Vol. 132 (pp. 178). Philadelphia, PA: American Association of Physical Anthropologists.
DOI
2007 Kuperavage, A., Eckhardt, R., Norris, R., & Henneberg, M. (2007). Binary cranial contrasts and hypothetical species demarcations versus sources of real intrapopulation variation: LB1 and other test cases.. In American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2007; 132 (S44): p.21 Vol. 132 (pp. 148-149). Philadelphia: American Association of Physical Anthropologists.
DOI
2006 Sommer, H., Kuperavage, A., Eckhardt, R., Norris, R., & Henneberg, M. (2006). Comparison of coordinate digitizers for cranial surfaces.. In American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2006; 129 (S42): p.169 (pp. 169). Anchorage, AK: American Association of Physical Anthropologists.
2006 Norris, R., Kuperavage, A., Eckhardt, R., Sommer, H., & Henneberg, M. (2006). Morphological and molecular measures of papionine diversity as standards for the interpretation of hominin diversity.. In American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2006; 129 (S42): p.139 (pp. 139). Anchorage, AK: American Association of Physical Anthropologists.
2005 Henneberg, M., Stephan, C., & Norris, R. (2005). Sources of biological variation. Is sex really important?. In American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2005; 126 (S40): p.114 Vol. 126 (pp. 114). Anchorage, AK: American Association of Physical Anthropologists.
DOI WoS1
2003 Brennan, M., Norris, R., & Henneberg, M. (2003). Hand and forearm musculature of the brachiating apes: with particular reference to the structure and function of the Orang Utan (Pongo pygmaeus). Implications for hominid evolution.. In HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology, 2003; 54 (1): Vol. 54 (pp. 85). Perth, Western Australia: Elsevier.
DOI
1997 Norris, R. (1997). Sexual dimorphism in the anterior skull region in a ranid frog genus from the Solomon Islands. In Journal of Morphology Vol. 232. Bristol, United Kingdom: Wiley.

Year Citation
2010 Norris, R., & Wilkes, A. N. (2010). Diet or Habit? An investigation into the morphological divergence seen in the Australian marsupial suborder Vombatiformes.. Poster session presented at the meeting of International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology. Uruguay.
2007 Norris, R. M., Henneberg, M., Kuperavage, A., & Eckhardt, R. B. (2007). Koalas, papionines and humans: Understanding variation and diversity in human evolution. Poster session presented at the meeting of JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY. WILEY-LISS.
1999 Norris, R., Johnson, B., & Henneberg, M. (1999). The cotton-top tamarin (Sanguinus oedipus) in captive and free-ranging environments. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australasian Society for Human Biology. Sydney, Australia.
1999 Norris, R., Henneberg, M., & Tedman, R. (1999). Evolution of jaw suspension. Poster session presented at the meeting of The International Association for Dental Research, Aust & NZ Division, 39th Annual Scientific Meeting. Adelaide, Australia.
1997 Norris, R. (1997). Testing multiple species hypothesis on frogs. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australasian Society for Human Biology and the Fifth World Academic Conference on Human Ecology of the IUAES's Commission on Human Ecology. Adelaide, Australia.

VETS 2013/2014 Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology II

VETS 3013/3014 Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology III

VETS 1002 Anatomy for Veterinary Technology

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2022 Co-Supervisor Evolutionary Constraints and Trade-Offs in the Locomotor Morphology of Birds and Mammals Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Ellen May Martin
2022 Co-Supervisor Evolutionary Constraints and Trade-Offs in the Locomotor Morphology of Birds and Mammals Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Ellen May Martin

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2021 - 2025 Co-Supervisor Constructing the body axis for running: Musculoskeletal structure of the vertebral column and its relationship with locomotion in the Leporidae Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Nuttakorn Taewcharoen
2007 - 2011 Co-Supervisor The Australian Cretaceous Ichthyosaur Platypterygius australis: Understanding its Taxonomy, Morphology, and Palaeobiology Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Maria Zammit

Date Role Committee Institution Country
2018 - ongoing Representative Curriculum, Program Management and Review Committee Faculty of Sciences The University of Adelaide Australia
2013 - ongoing Member Admissions Committee School of Animal and Veterinary Science, The University of Adelaide Australia
2013 - ongoing Chair Veterinary Bioscience Program Management Committee University of Adelaide Australia
2013 - ongoing Member Learning and Teaching Management Committee School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide Australia

Date Role Membership Country
2019 - ongoing Member Australian Institute of Anatomical Sciences Australia
2015 - ongoing Member Institute of Anatomical Sciences United Kingdom
1998 - ongoing Member International Society of Vertebrate Morphologists -
1989 - ongoing Member The Willi Hennig Society United States
1987 - ongoing Member Royal Society of South Australia Australia

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