Mammals first originated during the Mesozoic but are often overlooked compared with their dinosaur contemporaries. Much is still unknown about Mesozoic mammals, despite two-thirds of their evolutionary history taking place during this time. Dr Melisa Morales Garcia, who recently completed her PhD at the University of Bristol, will explore one of the most important ecological traits of mammals—their diet—from a functional standpoint.

She will pose two main questions:

1) What can the functional performance of mammalian jaws tell us about their diets?

2) Can we use this information to infer the diets of our earliest mammalian ancestors?

Image caption: Morganucodon model in display at the National Museum Wales. Model by Bob Nicholls. Photograph by Nuria Melisa Morales Garcia.

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Melisa's PhD looked at the function and feeding ecology of Mesozoic mammals, and her research focuses on mammalian biomechanics and ecomorphology. She is also a a science graphic designer & science communicator. You can find out more about her work here.

T: @NuriaMelisaMor1

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