Late Cretaceous Mammals from MadagascarMadagascar has been an island for millions of years, being separated from mainland Africa 165 million years ago. In the past, as remains the case today, this long period of geographic isolation resulted in a very unique fauna, comprised of animals found nowhere else in the world. Among the Cretaceous mammals of Madagascar is the recently described cranium of Vintana (here) and the complete skeleton of Adalatherium (here). Adalatherium represents the first skeleton of a gondwanathere, an enigmatic clade from the Cretaceous and Paleogene of Gondwana, previously only known by literally a handful of isolated teeth and fragmentary jaws. Being one of the only Late Cretaceous sites preserving fossil mammals in Africa, the Mahajanga Basin plays an important role in understanding the evolution of early mammals, not just in Madagascar, but for the whole southern hemisphere.
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Systematics of Early MammalsTo date the relationships of early mammals are still not fully resolved. Problematic are several ancient and poorly preserved taxa called haramiyids. Haramiyida are either positioned outside of Mammaliaformes or aligned with Multituberculata or Allotheria. Both positions have drastically different implications for the timing of origin of mammals. As part of my research I am trying to incorporate information from several groups that are associated with Allotheria (Multituberculata, Gondwanatheria, Euharamiyida to untangle the relationships of these highly specialized early mammals. I am placing a greater focus on postcranial information to test the affiliations of groupings that have previously been united by highly derived dentally traits.
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Sensory System in MammalsThe sensory system plays an important role in the evolution of mammals. Extant mammals have large brains, an increased sensitivity in touch, a keen sense of smell and enhanced high-frequency hearing. But when and how did these key adaptations evolve? And what is the genetic underpinning? My interest in the senses of fossil mammals has developed into multidisciplinary projects in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution of the sensory system. In extant mammals, I am employing diffusible Iodine-based Contrast-Enhanced (dice)-CT imaging to reconstruct the soft tissue along with the bony features.
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