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Eva-Maria Hanninger

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Eva-Maria (Evi) is a PhD candidate at CERG, Massey University, New Zealand, supervised by Prof Karen Stockin, Dr Katharina J Peters and Prof Alastair Watson. Her PhD research focuses on aging and anatomy of New Zealand common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Evi formerly studied Biology at the University of Basel (Switzerland, majoring in animal and plant sciences). In her subsequent master thesis, Evi explored injuries, emaciation, and skin conditions in cetaceans of the Strait of Gibraltar. Her MSc thesis generated two published papers which featured in the Journal for Cetacean Research and Management and Management in 2023. Evi since has been awarded the Te Aparangi Royal Society Hutton Fund in support her PhD research.

Research

Evi’s PhD focuses on pectoral fin bone morphology and age assessment in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). The age of cetaceans is commonly assessed by counting growth layer groups (GLGs) in teeth. Evi aims to assess the age of common dolphins based on bone ossification stages of pectoral fin bones in comparison to GLG and epigenetic methods. Her further research interests lie in the occurrence of forelimb deformities and bone fractures.

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