Through probabilistic models, and in a phylogenetic framework, my research at the ISEM aims to reconstruct the geographic origin of different mammalian clades in the Antilles taking into account the geologic and ecological changes that the Caribbean, South, and Central America experienced throughout the Cenozoic. Furthermore, my research will assess the role of biotic and abiotic factors in the origin and maintenance of Caribbean vertebrate biodiversity using all sorts of new data that my colleagues at the ISEM have gathered in the past few years.
Another important component of my research involves understanding the ecological evolution of terrestrial mammals with the use of stable isotope geochemistry. By working in hyperdiverse ecosystems such as the Amazon rainforest, and with controlled-fed zoological animals, my research evaluates the role of animal physiology, biotic interactions, and extinctions on the trophic structure of mammalian ecosystems.