Welcome to the Luo Lab

Welcome to the Luo Lab, where we look to Mesozoic mammals to answer questions about mammaliaform diversity in the ‘Age of Dinosaurs,’ the origin of mammalian traits, macroevolution, and more.
Today we know mammals to be a diverse group with a wide range of specialized adaptations. Through our research, we are revealing the diversity that existed in early mammal faunas and are revealing the origins of important mammalian traits.
Agilodocodon and Docofossor: arboreal and fossorial Docodonts
Luo, Z. X., Meng, Q.M., Ji, Q., Zhang, Y.G., Neander, A.I. (2015). Evolutionary development in basal mammaliaforms as revealed by a docodontan Science, 347(6223), 760-764. DOI: 10.1126/science.1260880 Meng, Q.M., Ji, Q., Zhang, Y.G., Liu, D., Grossnickle, D.M., Luo,...
Earliest Evolution of Multituberculate Mammals Revealed by a New Jurassic Fossil
Yuan, C. X., Ji, Q., Meng, Q. J., Tabrum, A. R., & Luo, Z. X. (2013). Earliest evolution of multituberculate mammals revealed by a new Jurassic fossil. Science, 341(6147), 779-783. DOI: 10.1126/science.1237970 A new Jurassic fossil from China provides fresh...