Mammal Evolution and Climate Change in the High Arctic during the Neogene Period

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Martin Lipman © Canadian Museum of Nature

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Rybczynski. Devon Island. 2008. Discovery of the brain case of Puijila.

About 55 million years ago, Earth was extremely warm—so much so that alligators could live in the High Arctic. Since that time, the planet has been generally cooling, culminating with the onset of the Ice Age, about 3 million years ago. This research focuses on terrestrial fossil deposits from the Neogene (~23 to ~3 million years ago) of the High Arctic. Our efforts are uncovering the evolutionary history of vertebrate lineages using fossil and modern evidence. Through our many collaborations, we incorporate a wide range of expertise to answer questions related to ecosystem, landscape and climate change in the High Arctic.

Principal investigator: Natalia Rybczynski.