Erik R. Seiffert, PhD

Mammalian evolution; combined Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of molecular and morphological data; detection of long-term evolutionary patterns in mammalian anatomy

• Robert W. Sussman Award for Scientific Contributions to Anthropology (AAAS), 2016

• A diminutive new basilosaurid whale reveals the trajectory of the cetacean life histories during the Eocene. Commun Biol. 2023 08 10; 6(1):707.. View in PubMed
• Total evidence time-scaled phylogenetic and biogeographic models for the evolution of sea cows (Sirenia, Afrotheria). PeerJ. 2022; 10:e13886.. View in PubMed
• Widespread loss of mammalian lineage and dietary diversity in the early Oligocene of Afro-Arabia. Commun Biol. 2021 10 07; 4(1):1172.. View in PubMed
• An Early Oligocene age for the oldest known monkeys and rodents of South America. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 09 14; 118(37).. View in PubMed
• A new protocetid whale offers clues to biogeography and feeding ecology in early cetacean evolution. Proc Biol Sci. 2021 08 25; 288(1957):20211368.. View in PubMed
• New phiocricetomyine rodents (Hystricognathi) from the Jebel Qatrani Formation, Fayum Depression, Egypt. PeerJ. 2021; 9:e12074.. View in PubMed
• Dinosaur remains from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of the Western Desert, Egypt. Cretaceous Research. 2021; 123:104783.
• A parapithecid stem anthropoid of African origin in the Paleogene of South America. Science. 2020 04 10; 368(6487):194-197.. View in PubMed
• Oldest record of African Bagridae and evidence from catfishes for a marine influence in the late Eocene Birket Qarun Locality 2 (BQ-2), Fayum Depression, Egypt. J. Vert. Paleo. 2020; (e1780248).
• Revision of Oligocene “Paraphiomys” and an origin for crown Thryonomyoidea (Rodentia, Hystricognathi, Phiomorpha) near the Oligocene-Miocene boundary in Africa. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 2020; 190:352-371.
• New crocodylomorph material from the Fayum Depression, Egypt, including the first occurrence of a sebecosuchian in African late Eocene deposits. J. Vert. Paleo. 2020; e1729781.
• Early anthropoid femora reveal divergent adaptive trajectories in catarrhine hind-limb evolution. Nat Commun. 2019 11 08; 10(1):4778.. View in PubMed
• Vertical support use and primate origins. Sci Rep. 2019 08 26; 9(1):12341.. View in PubMed
• Fossil lemurs from Egypt and Kenya suggest an African origin for Madagascar’s aye-aye. Nat Commun. 2018 08 21; 9(1):3193.. View in PubMed
• New Egyptian sauropod reveals Late Cretaceous dinosaur dispersal between Europe and Africa. Nat Ecol Evol. 2018 03; 2(3):445-451.. View in PubMed
• An enigmatic crocodyliform from the Upper Cretaceous Quseir Formation, central Egypt. Cretaceous Research. 2018; 90:174-184.
• Quantification of the position and depth of the flexor hallucis longus groove in euarchontans, with implications for the evolution of primate positional behavior. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2017 06; 163(2):367-406.. View in PubMed
• Dental eruption and growth in Hyracoidea. J Vert Paleo. 2017; e1317638.
• Craniodental and humeral morphology of a new species of Masrasector (Teratodontinae, Hyaenodonta, Placentalia) from the late Eocene of Egypt and locomotor diversity in hyaenodonts. PLoS One. 2017; 12(4):e0173527.. View in PubMed
• A new genus and species of marine catfishes (Siluriformes; Ariidae) from the upper Eocene Birket Qarun Formation, Wadi El-Hitan, Egypt. PLoS One. 2017; 12(3):e0172409.. View in PubMed
• Internal carotid arterial canal size and scaling in Euarchonta: Re-assessing implications for arterial patency and phylogenetic relationships in early fossil primates. J Hum Evol. 2016 08; 97:123-44.. View in PubMed
• Astragalar and calcaneal morphology of the middle Eocene primate Anchomomys frontanyensis (Anchomomyini): Implications for early primate evolution. J Hum Evol. 2016 Feb; 91:122-43.. View in PubMed
• Hyainailourine and teratodontine cranial material from the late Eocene of Egypt and the application of parsimony and Bayesian methods to the phylogeny and biogeography of Hyaenodonta (Placentalia, Mammalia). PeerJ. 2016; 4:e2639.. View in PubMed
• New phiomorph rodents from the latest Eocene of Egypt, and the impact of Bayesian “clock”-based phylogenetic methods on estimates of basal hystricognath relationships and biochronology. PeerJ. 2016; 4:e1717.. View in PubMed
• Ancient phylogenetic divergence of the enigmatic African rodent Zenkerella and the origin of anomalurid gliding. PeerJ. 2016; 4:e2320.. View in PubMed
• Evolution of postural diversity in primates as reflected by the size and shape of the medial tibial facet of the talus. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2015 May; 157(1):134-77.. View in PubMed
• Primate tarsal bones from Egerkingen, Switzerland, attributable to the middle Eocene adapiform Caenopithecus lemuroides. PeerJ. 2015; 3:e1036.. View in PubMed
• First cranial remains of a gondwanatherian mammal reveal remarkable mosaicism. Nature. 2014 Nov 27; 515(7528):512-7.. View in PubMed
• Anthracobunids from the middle eocene of India and pakistan are stem perissodactyls. PLoS One. 2014; 9(10):e109232.. View in PubMed
• New Myzopodidae (Chiroptera) from the late Paleogene of Egypt: emended family diagnosis and biogeographic origins of Noctilionoidea. PLoS One. 2014; 9(2):e86712.. View in PubMed
• A calcaneus attributable to the primitive late Eocene anthropoid Proteopithecus sylviae: phenetic affinities and phylogenetic implications. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2013 Jul; 151(3):372-97.. View in PubMed
• Patterns of astragalar fibular facet orientation in extant and fossil primates and their evolutionary implications. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2013 Jul; 151(3):420-47.. View in PubMed
• Palaeontological evidence for an Oligocene divergence between Old World monkeys and apes. Nature. 2013 May 30; 497(7451):611-4.. View in PubMed
• Last of the oligopithecids? A dwarf species from the youngest primate-bearing level of the Jebel Qatrani Formation, northern Egypt. J Hum Evol. 2013 Mar; 64(3):211-5.. View in PubMed
• Evolution and allometry of calcaneal elongation in living and extinct primates. PLoS One. 2013; 8(7):e67792.. View in PubMed
• Early primate evolution in Afro-Arabia. Evol Anthropol. 2012 Nov; 21(6):239-53.. View in PubMed
• Evolution of locomotion in Anthropoidea: the semicircular canal evidence. Proc Biol Sci. 2012 Sep 07; 279(1742):3467-75.. View in PubMed
• New primate first metatarsals from the Paleogene of Egypt and the origin of the anthropoid big toe. J Hum Evol. 2012 Jul; 63(1):99-120.. View in PubMed
• Evidence for a convergent slowdown in primate molecular rates and its implications for the timing of early primate evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Apr 17; 109(16):6006-11.. View in PubMed
• Diversity in the later Paleogene proboscidean radiation: a small barytheriid from the Oligocene of Dhofar Governorate, Sultanate of Oman. Naturwissenschaften. 2012 Feb; 99(2):133-41.. View in PubMed
• A radiation of arboreal basal eutherian mammals beginning in the Late Cretaceous of India. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Sep 27; 108(39):16333-8.. View in PubMed
• Craniodental morphology and systematics of a new family of hystricognathous rodents (Gaudeamuridae) from the late eocene and early oligocene of Egypt. PLoS One. 2011 Feb 22; 6(2):e16525.. View in PubMed
• Astragalar morphology of Afradapis, a large adapiform primate from the earliest late Eocene of Egypt. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2010 Nov; 143(3):383-402.. View in PubMed
• A fossil primate of uncertain affinities from the earliest late Eocene of Egypt. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 May 25; 107(21):9712-7.. View in PubMed
• Convergent evolution of anthropoid-like adaptations in Eocene adapiform primates. Nature. 2009 Oct 22; 461(7267):1118-21.. View in PubMed
• Fossil and molecular evidence constrain scenarios for the early evolutionary and biogeographic history of hystricognathous rodents. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Sep 29; 106(39):16722-7.. View in PubMed
• Stable isotope evidence for an amphibious phase in early proboscidean evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Apr 15; 105(15):5786-91.. View in PubMed
• A new estimate of afrotherian phylogeny based on simultaneous analysis of genomic, morphological, and fossil evidence. BMC Evol Biol. 2007 Nov 13; 7:224.. View in PubMed
• A remarkable female cranium of the early Oligocene anthropoid Aegyptopithecus zeuxis (Catarrhini, Propliopithecidae). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 May 22; 104(21):8731-6.. View in PubMed
• Additional material of the enigmatic Early Miocene mammal Kelba and its relationship to the order Ptolemaiida. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Mar 27; 104(13):5510-5.. View in PubMed
• Early evolution and biogeography of lorisiform strepsirrhines. Am J Primatol. 2007 Jan; 69(1):27-35.. View in PubMed
• Evolution and extinction of Afro-Arabian primates near the Eocene-Oligocene boundary. Folia Primatol (Basel). 2007; 78(5-6):314-27.. View in PubMed
• Revised age estimates for the later Paleogene mammal faunas of Egypt and Oman. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Mar 28; 103(13):5000-5.. View in PubMed
• Basal anthropoids from Egypt and the antiquity of Africa’s higher primate radiation. Science. 2005 Oct 14; 310(5746):300-4.. View in PubMed
• Additional remains of Wadilemur elegans, a primitive stem galagid from the late Eocene of Egypt. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Aug 09; 102(32):11396-401.. View in PubMed
• Afrotherian origins and interrelationships: new views and future prospects. Curr Top Dev Biol. 2004; 63:37-60.. View in PubMed
• Oligocene mammals from Ethiopia and faunal exchange between Afro-Arabia and Eurasia. Nature. 2003 Dec 04; 426(6966):549-52.. View in PubMed
• Fossil evidence for an ancient divergence of lorises and galagos. Nature. 2003 Mar 27; 422(6930):421-4.. View in PubMed
• Astragalar morphology of late Eocene anthropoids from the Fayum Depression (Egypt) and the origin of catarrhine primates. J Hum Evol. 2001 Dec; 41(6):577-606.. View in PubMed
• Earliest record of a parapithecid anthropoid from the Jebel Qatrani formation, Northern Egypt. Folia Primatol (Basel). 2001 Nov-Dec; 72(6):316-31.. View in PubMed
• Morphometric variation in the hominoid orbital aperture: a case study with implications for the use of variable characters in Miocene catarrhine systematics. J Hum Evol. 2001 Apr; 40(4):301-18.. View in PubMed
• Anthropoid humeri from the late Eocene of Egypt. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Aug 29; 97(18):10062-7.. View in PubMed
• Widanelfarasia, a diminutive placental from the late Eocene of Egypt. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Mar 14; 97(6):2646-51.. View in PubMed

• Carlson, Kristian
• Patel, Biren
• Huttenlocker, Adam
• Chuong, Cheng-Ming
• Jashashvili, Tea
• Lewton, Kristi