I am interested in understanding hominin craniofacial evolution and the relationship between cranial form and function. In that context I have been researching the extent to which mechanical factors may explain the morphological evolution of the craniofacial complex in recent hominins. To that end I use 3D reconstructions of fossils, Geometric Morphometrics (GM) to examine the relationship between form and function and aid in the reconstruction of incomplete specimens, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to simulate masticatory function.
I am also interested in the paleobiology and funerary behavior of recent pre-historic human populations. In that context I have been involved in the excavation of several burial sites in the South of Portugal and subsequent analysis of the human skeletal remains. In the past year, I have been examining cremated human remains from a Portuguese Chalcolithic enclosure (Perdigões).

I have worked in contract and research archaeology for over 10 years. During that time I have worked as an independent site assistant, independent biological anthropologist and as head biological anthropologist of a major Portuguese contract archeology company. After that I enrolled my PhD at the Hull York Medical School, for which I was awarded a PhD scholarship by the Portuguese National Foundation for Science and Technology. Shortly after finishing my PhD I was granted funding as an assistant researcher to study cremated human remains from a Portuguese Chalcolithic enclosure (Perdigões).

Peer reviewed articles
• O’Higgins, P.; Fitton, L.C. and Godinho, R.M. (in press). Geometric morphometrics and finite elements analysis: Assessing the functional implications of differences in craniofacial form in the hominin fossil record. Journal of Archaeological Science.  Link

• Godinho, R.M. and O’Higgins, P. (2018). The biomechanical significance of the frontal sinus in Kabwe 1 (Homo heidelbergensis). Journal of Human Evolution, 114: 141-153.  Link

• Godinho R.M., Toro-Ibacache V., Fitton L. C. and O’Higgins P. (2017). Finite element analysis of the cranium: validity, sensitivity and future directions. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 16(5-6): 600-612.  Link

• Godinho, R.M. (2016). Bone biomechanical function and adaptation. Cadernos do Geevh, 5: 51-63.

• Sianto, L., de Miranda Chaves, S.A., Teixeira-Santos, I., Pereira, P.A., Godinho, R.M., Gonçalves, D. and Santos, A.L. (2016). Evidence of contact between New and Old World: paleoparasitological and food remains study in the Tagus river population of Sarilhos Grandes (Montijo, Portugal). Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 10(1): 75-81.  Link

• Lacruz R.S., Bromage T.G., O’Higgins P., Arsuaga J.-L., Stringer C., Godinho R.M., Warshaw J., Martinez I., Gracia-Tellez A., de Castro J.M.B. and Carbonell E. (2015). Ontogeny of the maxilla in Neanderthals and their ancestors. Nature Communications 6:1-6.  Link

• Filipe, V.; Godinho, R.M; Granja, R.; Ribeiro, A. and Valera, A. (2013). Bronze age funerary spaces in Outeiro Alto 2 (Brinches, Serpa, Portugal): the hypogea cemetery. Zephyrus, 71: 107-129.

Book sections
• Godinho, R.M. and O Higgins P. (2017). Virtual reconstruction of cranial remains: the H. Heidelbergensis, Kabwe 1 fossil. In T. Thompson and D. Errickson (eds.), Human remains – Another dimension: the application of 3D imaging in funerary context, pp. 135-147. Elsevier.

Papers in conference proceedings
• Pereira, P.A.; Sianto, L.; Chaves, S.A.M.; Teixeira-Santos, I.; Gonçalves, D.; Santos, A.L.; Toso, A.; Monge Calleja, A.L.; Coutinho, A.P.; Araújo, A.C. and Godinho, R.M. (2017). Necrópole do Largo da Igreja (Sarilhos Grandes , Montijo): Evidências Bioarqueológicas de Contato entre Portugal e o Novo Mundo. In  Sines, História e Património, o Porto e o Mar Actas, pp. 123-141. Sines: Arquivo Municipal de Sines.  Link

• Godinho R.M. (2017). Virtual anthropology and the study of skeletal form and function. In JIA 2016 – Between Science and Culture: from interdisciplinarity to the transversality of archaeology, pp. 309-314. Lisboa: CHAM.

• Moro-Berraquero, F.J., Simao, I. and Godinho, R.M. (2015). Santa Margarida do Sado 3. La influencia fenicio-púnica al interior de la cuenca del Río Sado, In VII Encontro de Arqueologia do Sudoeste Peninsular, Aroche-Serpa, pp. 501-529.

• Valera A.; Godinho, R.M.; Calvo E.; Moro Berraquero J.; Filipe V. and Santos H. (2010). Um mundo em negativo: fossos, fossas e hipogeus entre o Neolítico Final e a Idade do Bronze na margem esquerda do Guadiana (Brinches, Serpa). In: Silva A.C., Regala F.T.; Martinho M., editors. 4º Colóquio de Arqueologia do Alqueva – O Plano de Rega (2002-2010). Beja: EDIA: 55-73.

• Brazuna S. and Godinho R.M. (2010). Xancra II (Cuba, Beja): resultados preliminares da necrópole Islâmica. In A.C. Silva, F.T. Regala and M. Martinho (eds.), 4º Colóquio de Arqueologia do Alqueva – O Plano de Rega (2002-2010), pp. 219-224. Beja: EDIA.

• Filipe, I.; Simão, I.; Godinho, R.M. and Brazuna, S. (2010). Trabalhos arqueológicos realizados no Parque da Cidade: novos contributos para a história de Lagos em época Moderna. Xelb, 10: 747-756.

• Pereira, P.; Godinho, R.M. and Gonçalves, D. (2008). A Necrópole do Largo da Igreja, Sarilhos Grandes. In Jornadas de Arqueologia do Vale do Tejo em Território Português, pp. 103-112.

• PI in the project “Mandibular morphology and the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition”, with the Archaeology of Portugal Grant (2016) of the Archaeological Institute of America
• Assistant researcher in the project “Práticas funerárias da Pré-história recente no Baixo Alentejo e retorno sócio-económico de programa de salvamento patrimonial”, with funding from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/HIS-ARQ/114077/2009).