In modern ecosystems, the mammals at the top of the food chain are members of the order Carnivora, such as dogs, cats, and hyaenas. But for the much of the Age of Mammals, carnivorans shared the meat-eating niche with an extinct family of mammals called Hyaenodontidae. Species from this diverse family could be found across Eurasia, North America, and Africa. In Africa, these mammals were the primary predators in the ecosystems where our early ancestors evolved. Despite their carnivorous habits, hyaenodontids might not have been closely related to carnivorans, and their place in the mammalian family tree has not yet been established. This research project will clarify the relationships between hyaenodontid species and test the family?s position within the mammalian family tree using molecular and anatomical evidence and sophisticated techniques for reconstructing relationships between species.
A better understanding of the earliest land-based carnivores is essential for understanding the evolution of modern mammalian ecosystems, the evolution of meat-dependent diets, and the biological connections between Eurasian, African, and American ecosystems through the early Cenozoic Era (65 to 10 million years ago). This research has already generated collaborations with high school students, undergraduate students, and has formed part of a course offered to Women in Science and Engineering at Stony Brook University. It has also generated online resources for late elementary and high school teachers who want to use paleontology to teach New York core-curriculum objectives.
