Our Faculty

Zhe-Xi Luo, PhD

Research in Luo Lab in the University of Chicago is devoted to the understanding of the origins and earliest evolution of mammals.



Our endeavor is to study how mammals arose in their early history, as documented in a rich and rapidly growing fossil record. We seek to understand the origins of key mammalian adaptations, evolutionary changes in their development patterns, phylogenetic relationship of the major lineages of Mesozoic mammals, as well as their ecological and morphological diversification.



The understanding of early mammalian evolution can provide a useful case study on the diversification of major organismal groups, on the patterns and processes of macroevolution, on the geological history of vertebrate faunas, and on their paleobiogeography.

Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology
Cambridge, MA, US
Postdoctoral fellowship - Mammalian Evolutionary Morphology
1991

University of California at Berkeley, Museum of Paleontology
Berkeley, CA, US
PhD - Paleontology
1989

Nanjing University, Department of Geology
Nanjing, China
BS - Geology, Stratigraphy and Paleontology
1982

Author Correction: Inner ear biomechanics reveals a Late Triassic origin for mammalian endothermy.
Author Correction: Inner ear biomechanics reveals a Late Triassic origin for mammalian endothermy. Nature. 2023 Jan 09.
PMID: 36624295

The earliest segmental sternum in a Permian synapsid and its implications for the evolution of mammalian locomotion and ventilation.
The earliest segmental sternum in a Permian synapsid and its implications for the evolution of mammalian locomotion and ventilation. Sci Rep. 2022 08 05; 12(1):13472.
PMID: 35931742

Inner ear biomechanics reveals a Late Triassic origin for mammalian endothermy.
Inner ear biomechanics reveals a Late Triassic origin for mammalian endothermy. Nature. 2022 07; 607(7920):726-731.
PMID: 35859179

Evolution of inner ear neuroanatomy of bats and implications for echolocation.
Evolution of inner ear neuroanatomy of bats and implications for echolocation. Nature. 2022 02; 602(7897):449-454.
PMID: 35082447

Morphological disparity and evolutionary transformations in the primate hyoid apparatus.
Morphological disparity and evolutionary transformations in the primate hyoid apparatus. J Hum Evol. 2022 01; 162:103094.
PMID: 34808474

Incomplete convergence of gliding mammal skeletons.
Incomplete convergence of gliding mammal skeletons. Evolution. 2020 12; 74(12):2662-2680.
PMID: 32886353

New Jurassic mammaliaform sheds light on early evolution of mammal-like hyoid bones.
New Jurassic mammaliaform sheds light on early evolution of mammal-like hyoid bones. Science. 2019 Jul 19; 365(6450):276-279.
PMID: 31320539

Publisher Correction: Late-surviving stem mammal links the lowermost Cretaceous of North America and Gondwana.
Publisher Correction: Late-surviving stem mammal links the lowermost Cretaceous of North America and Gondwana. Nature. 2018 10; 562(7728):E27.
PMID: 30108361

The role of miniaturization in the evolution of the mammalian jaw and middle ear.
The role of miniaturization in the evolution of the mammalian jaw and middle ear. Nature. 2018 09; 561(7724):533-537.
PMID: 30224748

Late-surviving stem mammal links the lowermost Cretaceous of North America and Gondwana.
Late-surviving stem mammal links the lowermost Cretaceous of North America and Gondwana. Nature. 2018 06; 558(7708):108-112.
PMID: 29795343

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