Early Mammalian Evolution

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This proposal is designed to pursue opportunities to advance our knowledge of the morphology, functional anatomy, and phylogeny of early mammals. These opportunities developed as the result of the recent discovery of associated remains of a haramiyid mammal in the upper Fleming Fjord Formation of East Greenland. The discovery not only reveals greater diversity among early mammals than previously known, but also demonstrates how readily the current conceptual framework of early mammalian evolution may be reordered by new evidence. The proposed investigation will exploit this discovery by recovering associated skeletal remains from the deposits. The realistic prospect of recovering additional associated mammalian skeletal material from the Fleming Fjord Formation offers excellent potential to increase significantly our knowledge of the early evolution of Mammalia.