Research Interests
I am broadly interested in Paleoecological questions that address mammal migration and changing habitats throughout the Cenozoic.
Filters during the Great American Biotic Interchange
I am broadly interested in Paleoecological questions that address mammal migration and changing habitats throughout the Cenozoic.
Working with my lab mate Tanner at his field site near Fernley, NV.
Currently I am examining the filters that impacted mammalian dispersal during the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI). GABI occurred approximately 2.5 million years ago after the closure of the Isthmus of Panama when organisms could move freely between North and South America. Typically South American mammals are thought of as the "losers" and North American mammals are termed the "winners." I am more interested in what stopped (or didn't stop) animals from moving across Central America and Panama.
Aplodontia and California Cave Deposits
I have also been examining the mammalian fauna from a Pleistocene cave deposit near the El Dorado National Forest. This site is particularly unique because there are a large number of Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa) fossils. This is highly unusual especially when compared to nearby montane cave sites. I plan to investigate why there may have been such a high concentration of Aplodontia at this site and describe the mammalian fauna. I am also interested in looking at where caves are located in California, what they have contributed to the California fossil record, and the nature of their depositional environments.