Richard L. Cifelli

Associate Professor, Department of Zoology and School of Geology and Geophysics

  A.B., 1976, Colby College
  A.M., 1979, University of Chicago
  M.Phil., 1980, Columbia University
  Ph.D., 1983, Columbia University

rlc@ou.edu

Vertebrate Paleontology

I am Associate Curator of Vertebrate paleontology at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology, and cooperating faculty member in the School of Geology and Geophysics. My research interests are in the paleobiology, systematics, and evolution of mammals. I conduct research on fossil mammals of South America which, because of the continent's isolation during most of the Tertiary, represent a �natural environment� in zoogeography and evolution. At the same time, I have been developing a sequence of early mammal faunas from the Cretaceous of the southwest U.S. These assemblages document a long and poorly understood interval in mammalian history, during which they were relatively small, rare taxa living in the interstices of a world dominated by dinosaurs. Most of my research programs are field-based, with activities currently being conducted in Colombia, Argentina, Texas, and Utah. I have collaborated extensively with geophysicists in developing an absolute temporal framework for mammalian evolution. Currently, I teach both graduate and undergraduate classes, cross-listed with Geology and Geophysics, in vertebrate paleontology

	School of Geology and Geophysics
Prospective Undergraduates What are Geology and Geophysics? What do Geologists and Geophysicists do? Why do we need Geologists and Geophysicists? You might be a Geologist or Geophysicist if you... Why study Geology and Geophysics at OU? Scholarships Degrees Offered Areas Of Emphasis Prospective Graduate Students Areas of Emphasis Degrees Offered Admissions Assistantships and Fellowships Successful Graduates Field Trips Recruiting Current Students Student Organizations Geology Courses Geophysics Courses OU Course Catalog CEE Student Services Registration Degree Navigator Mission People Faculty Staff Students Research Areas of Emphasis Laboratories Alumni School Policies, Forms, and Archives	Richard L. Cifelli Associate Professor, Department of Zoology and School of Geology and Geophysics A.B., 1976, Colby College A.M., 1979, University of Chicago M.Phil., 1980, Columbia University Ph.D., 1983, Columbia University rlc@ou.edu Vertebrate Paleontology I am Associate Curator of Vertebrate paleontology at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology, and cooperating faculty member in the School of Geology and Geophysics. My research interests are in the paleobiology, systematics, and evolution of mammals. I conduct research on fossil mammals of South America which, because of the continent's isolation during most of the Tertiary, represent a �natural environment� in zoogeography and evolution. At the same time, I have been developing a sequence of early mammal faunas from the Cretaceous of the southwest U.S. These assemblages document a long and poorly understood interval in mammalian history, during which they were relatively small, rare taxa living in the interstices of a world dominated by dinosaurs. Most of my research programs are field-based, with activities currently being conducted in Colombia, Argentina, Texas, and Utah. I have collaborated extensively with geophysicists in developing an absolute temporal framework for mammalian evolution. Currently, I teach both graduate and undergraduate classes, cross-listed with Geology and Geophysics, in vertebrate paleontology