What does Paleobiology study?

Newsletter of the ICP

What does Paleobiology study?

The Paleobiology of the mammals of Tertiary and Quaternary is a new area of research at the ICP.

In the last few years, the theoretical and empirical investigation of evolutionary biology and the ecology of populations have greatly improved our knowledge of the biology of extinct mammals and their ecological context.
But, the evolution of some aspects of the fossil communities such as the measurement of the brain and the body, the rates of growth and longevity and other important aspects of the life-history of the animal and its ecosystem haven't been studied in depth.

The objective aim of Paleobiological research, therefore, is to understand the selective pressures, the dynamics of populations, the evolution of the physiological aspects, the body and the life-histories of each animal.
The ICP carries out, in particular, research on the Paleobiology of mammals in ecosystems with limited energy. Normally, this condition takes place on islands, in caves or on summits of mountains that provide isolated surroundings.

Looking at insular ecosystems is a very interesting way to study these aspects of mammals, given their simplicity (a lot of competition among the same species and very little between different species and a lack of predators, among other aspects).
Living in these conditions causes animals to require determined adaptations which allow them to maximize energy, to spend less energy and to have greater storage capacity. Thus, mammals that live in these conditions develop physiological, morphologic changes of reproduction, metabolism and behavior that are studied by the ICP.
This line of investigation, in addition, is especially important because it allows predictions of the future of present species as their ecosystems change.