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Profiles
ICTE
N-543 SBS Bldg.
SUNY at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY
11794-4364
631.632.9440
Fax: 631.632.7692
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Karen E. Samonds
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Education:
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University of Massachusetts, 1996 (BA: Anthropology, BS: Zoology)
Stony Brook University, 2000 (MS: Health Sciences)
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Current
Position:
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Stony Brook University, Department of Anatomical Sciences
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Advisors:
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David Krause and William Jungers |
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Research Sites:
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Anjohibe Cave, Madagascar |
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Research Focus:
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Ph.D. Thesis: The origin and evolution of extant Malagasy bats:
Implications of new Late Pleistocene fossils for reconstructing Madagascar’s biogeographic history.
A newly discovered fossil vertebrate fauna from the Cenozoic of northwestern Madagascar
will be the focus of my dissertation. These fossils are from a richly fossiliferous Late
Pleistocene breccia from deep within Anjohibe Cave which has been uranium-series dated at
60,000 years old, more than twice the age of the oldest previously known sample of Cenozoic
vertebrate fossils. These promising new fossils within the “gap” in Madagascar’s fossil
record will provide valuable new insights into the evolutionary history of Madagascar's
terrestrial vertebrate fauna, especially with reference to Malagasy bats that are presently
poorly understood.
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Research
Assistants:
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Faniriana Mirya Francine Ramarolahy,
Limon Lydia Raharivony, and Raelinavalonoro Andriamahazo. |
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Publications:
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Schwartz, G.T., Samonds, K.E., Godfrey, L.R., Jungers, W.L. and Simons, E.L. (in press)
Dental microstructure and life history in subfossil lemurs. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
Samonds, K.E., Loewen, M.A., Buckley, G.A. and Whatley, R.L. (2001) Vertebrate fossils
from the Cenozoic of Madagascar. Geological Society of America 33(6): A-389.
Loewen, M.A., Samonds, K.E. and Ramarolahy, M.F. (2001) Lake Tsimanampetsotsa, a modern
playa lake in Madagascar. Geological Society of America 33(6): A-443.
Godfrey L.R., Samonds, K.E., Jungers, W.L. and Sutherland, M.R. (2001) Teeth, brains,
and primate life histories. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 114: 192-214.
Irwin, M.T. and Samonds, K.E. (2001) A biological inventory of the lemur community Réserve
Spéciale de Kalambatritra, South Central Madagascar. Lemur News 6: 24-28.
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Project Sponsors:
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The Geological Society of America, 2111 Foundation,
Paleontological Society, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and Explorer’s Club.
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