Mammalian faunal transition in Asia during the Cretaceous: exploring the timing of the first diversification of eutherians

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24740349
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Stratigraphy/Paleontology
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: KUSUHASHI Nao 愛媛大学, 理工学研究科, 助教 (70567479)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 哺乳類 / 中生代 / 白亜紀 / 東アジア / 初期進化 / 真獣類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To investigate mammalian faunal transition in East Asia during the late Early Cretaceous, when eutherians became a major member of mammalian fauna in Asia, I conducted fossil excavations in Fuxin and neighboring areas, Liaoning, China and taxonomic studies on mammalian fossils from the Shahai and Fuxin formations, Liaoning, China and the Sasayama Group, Hyogo, Japan.
During the course of this project, 120 mammalian fossils were found by the excavations. As excavations of Early Cretaceous mammals, this beyond-expectations result is undoubtedly a big success. Through the taxonomic studies, a few papers describing new mammalian species have been published or accepted for publication, and now a few papers have been submitted and also some papers are in progress for submission. Further investigation on these materials will reveal more precise mode of mammalian faunal transition.

Free Research Field

古脊椎動物学