Research involves the continuation and expansion of an interdisciplinary-international (US-French-Bolivian) paleontological program to document vertebrate evolution, particularly of mammals, in the Late Cretaceous (Maestrichtian) age El Molino Formation and Maestrichtian and/or Paleocene age Santa Lucia Formation in southcentral Bolivia. The fauna from the El Molino Formation at Tiupampa is spectacularly rich in both number of taxa and number and quality of specimens--thus far the mammals are represented by over 600 specimens, including about 500 isolated teeth, 60 partial jaws with teeth, four partial skeletons, four complete and four partial skulls. Collectively these specimens represent at least 20 species of therian mammals, including 11 marsupials and 9 placentals. Among the marsupials are the earliest South American records of the families Peradectidae, Didelphidae, Microbiotheriidae, Caroloameghiniidae, and Borhyaenidae; and the only South American records of Proteutheria, Pantodonta, and undoubted mioclaenine hyopsodontid Condylarthra. The Tiupampa mammals are proving of great importance for understanding many debated aspects (and creating new controversies) about the biogeographic histories and phylogenetic relationships of early Cenozoic age mammal groups in South America in particular and in the Western Hemisphere in general. P.I. will: 1) collect additional fossils; 2) prospect additional sites (including the Campanian age Chauanaca Formation); 3) prepare fossils in hand and others to be collected; 4) mold and cast type and important specimens for distribution to interested colleagues and other research institutions around the world; and 5) study and publish the results.
