Dissertation Research: Mammalian Paleoecology of the Fayum of Egypt

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Information on the early evolution of the higher primates (anthropoids) is largely known from excavations at the Fayum in Egypt. Many descriptions of the Fayum fossil primates have been published over the years but there has been little attempt to put them in the context of an ecological setting or their ecological relationships to other extant mammalian species. This project will seek to detail the mammalian component of the Fayum community and any changes in its structure over time. Identification of species has already been initiated on the Fayum fossils housed at Duke University and will be completed on those in the collection at the Cairo Geological Museum. Identification will be accomplished through dental analysis. With data on the relative abundance of species, the PIs will be able to investigate changes in the composition over time and possibly space and thus provide a clearer picture of the origin of the higher primates.