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Zhe-Xi Luo, PhD

Research in Luo Lab in the University of Chicago is devoted to the understanding of the origins and earliest evolution of mammals.



Our endeavor is to study how mammals arose in their early history, as documented in a rich and rapidly growing fossil record. We seek to understand the origins of key mammalian adaptations, evolutionary changes in their development patterns, phylogenetic relationship of the major lineages of Mesozoic mammals, as well as their ecological and morphological diversification.



The understanding of early mammalian evolution can provide a useful case study on the diversification of major organismal groups, on the patterns and processes of macroevolution, on the geological history of vertebrate faunas, and on their paleobiogeography.