Greena Kim

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Greena Kim is a biomechanist whose work bridges animal behavior, fluid dynamics, and evolutionary biology. Her most celebrated study, "Suction feeding by elephants" (2021, 35 citations), overturned long-held assumptions about how elephants manipulate food. Using high-speed video and theoretical modeling of elephants at Zoo Atlanta, Kim demonstrated that elephants can generate suction through their trunks—a feat previously thought impossible for such massive, muscular appendages. This discovery revealed a surprising convergence with suction-feeding fish and reptiles, showing that even the heaviest biological structures can perform delicate, fluid-based tasks. Kim’s research has reshaped our understanding of trunk biomechanics and opened new questions about the evolution of feeding strategies in large mammals. Her work is widely cited not only for its technical innovation but for its elegant integration of field observation, physics, and comparative anatomy. A rising star in functional morphology, Kim continues to explore how animals solve physical challenges in unexpected ways.