Holly N Woodward

Holly Woodward Ballard is an American paleontologist and paleohistologist.

Biography Ballard is a paleohistologist known for her research in the field of paleontology, particularly in the study of fossil bone tissue microstructures to understand the growth and development of extinct animals.

Research Ballard's research assesses ontogenetic growth and intra-specific variation in extinct tetrapods primarily through large-sample long-bone paleohistology, with a focus on non-avian dinosaurs. She also examines the intra-skeletal ontogenetic histology of extant tetrapods to improve understanding of bone tissue microstructures for use as a foundation in paleohistological interpretations.

Publications Ballard's notable publications include: Growing up Tyrannosaurus rex: Osteohistology refutes the pygmy "Nanotyrannus" and supports ontogenetic niche partitioning in juvenile Tyrannosaurus. The earliest Pleistocene record of a large-bodied hominin from the Levant supports two out-of-Africa dispersal events. Archosauromorpha: Avemetatarsalia – Dinosaurs and Their Relatives.