Zanildo Macungo is a Mozambican vertebrate palaeontologist whose research focuses on the anatomy, functional morphology, and evolutionary history of therapsids, particularly gorgonopsians and dicynodonts. He obtained his PhD in Vertebrate Palaeontology from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, in 2026. His research combines comparative anatomy, phylogenetic analysis, and advanced imaging techniques, including micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and synchrotron tomography, to investigate cranial anatomy and vertebrate evolution. He has extensive experience in digital fossil segmentation, three-dimensional reconstruction, and visualisation. As a postdoctoral researcher at CERENA, Instituto Superior Técnico, Zanildo investigates the evolution of the inner ear in extinct vertebrates, contributing to research into sensory evolution, physiological transitions, and the origins of endothermy in therapsids. His broader interests include vertebrate macroevolution and the relationships between anatomical change, functional adaptation, and evolutionary history.