Much of Dr. Rolian's work focuses on the evolution, development and functional morphology of the vertebrate limb skeleton. He is particularly interested in skeletal variation in size and shape between individuals: how it originates in, and is structured by, normal processes of organismal development, and how this can affect the ability of the limb bones to evolve in response to natural and artificial selection.

Rolian, C., Lieberman, D.E., Zermeno, J.P. (2011). "Hand biomechanics during simulated stone tool use". Journal of Human Evolution 61: 26-41 Nelson, E., Rolian, C. Cashmore, L., Shultz, S. (2011). "Digit ratios predict polygyny in early apes, Ardipithecus, Neanderthals and early Modern Humans but not in Australopithecus". Proceedings of the Royal Society B – Biological Sciences 278: 1556-1563 PDF Manyama, M., Rolian, C. Gilyoma, J., Magori, C., Mjema, K., Kimwaga, E., Mazyala, E., Hallgrimsson, B. (2011). "The pattern of orofacial clefts at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania". BMC Oral Biology 11: 5 PDF Jamniczky, H., Boughner, J., Rolian, C., Gonzalez, P., Powell, C., Schmidt, E., Parsons, T., Bookstein, F., Hallgrímsson, B. (2010) "Mapping the epigenetic landscape: rediscovering Waddington in the Post-Genomic Age". BioEssays 32: 553-558 PDF Pontzer, H., Rolian, C., Rightmire, G.P., Lordkipanidze, D., Jashashvili, T., Zollikofer, C. and Ponce de Leon, M. (2010) "Locomotor anatomy and biomechanics of the Dmanisi hominids". Journal of Human Evolution 58: 492-504 PDF Rolian, C., Lieberman, D. and Hallgrimsson, B. (2010) "The coevolution of human hands and feet". Evolution 64: 1558-1568 PDF Hallgrímsson, B., Jamniczky, H., Young, N.M., Rolian, C., Parsons, T.E., Boughner, J.C. and Marcucio, R. (2009). "Deciphering the palimpsest: studying the relationship between morphological integration and phenotypic covariation". Evolutionary Biology 36: 355-376 PDF Rolian, C. (2009). "Integration and evolvability in primate hands and feet". Evolutionary Biology 36: 100-117 PDF Rolian, C.. Lieberman, D., Hamill, J., Scott, J. and Werbel, W. (2009). "Walking, running and the evolution of short toes in humans". Journal of Experimental Biology 215: 713-721 PDF Rolian, C. (2008). "Developmental basis of limb length in rodents: evidence for multiple divisions of labor in mechanisms of endochondral bone growth". Evolution & Development 10: 15-28 PDF