Dr. Robert Feranec

Director of Research and Collections, Curator of Pleistocene Vertebrate Paleontology
robert.feranec@nysed.gov
518-474-5819

While my interests encompass a broad scope of topics including influences on biogeography, causes of speciation and adaptive radiation, and triggers of extinction, my research has been focused at describing the evolution of ecology in mammals.  My research concentrates on examining ecology in mammals from short time scales (seasons) to very long time scales (millions of years). 

In order to understand ecology of fossil mammals, the modern quantitative and analytical techniques I employ include stable isotope geochemistry, utilization of bioinformatics databases, and computer-based imaging of fossils which permits quantitative analysis of various morphological features.  Fieldwork is also an important aspect of my research program, and I have conducted or participated in excavations in the U.S. and Spain. 

Typical questions addressed in my research include:

How does climate change effect ecology?
Does ecology change during development?
Does immigration/dispersal of new species affect ecology?
Does extinction/extirpation of species affect ecology?

I am interested and open to collaboration within and beyond North America.  Potential collaborators, including current or potential graduate students, are encouraged to email me.

Publications

2010

R. Feranec, A. Kozlowski 2010, AMS Radiocarbon Dates from Pleistocene and Holocene Mammals Housed in the New York State Museum, Albany, New York, USA, Radiocarbon 52, 205-208.
R. Feranec, E. Hadly, A. Paytan 2010, Isotopes Reveal Limited Effects of Middle Pleistocene Climate Change on the Ecology of Mid-sized Mammals, Quaternary International 217, 43-52. 10.1016/j.quaint.2009.07.018

2009

N. Garcia, R. Feranec, J. Arsuaga, J. de Castro, C. Carbonell 2009, Isotopic Analysis of the Ecology of Herbivores and Carnivores from the Middle Pleistocene Deposits of the Sierra de Atapuerca, Northern Spain, Journal of Archaeological Science 36, 1142-1151. 10.1016/j.jas.2008.12.018
L. DeSantis, R. Feranec, B. MacFadden 2009, Effects of Global Warming on Ancient Mammalian Communities and Their Environments, Plos One 4, e5750. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.. 10.1371/journal.pone.0005750
R. Feranec 2009, Implications of Radiocarbon Dates from Potter Creek Cave, Shasta County, California, USA, Radiocarbon 51, 931-936.
R. Feranec, E. Hadley, A. Paytan 2009, Stable Isotopes Reveal Seasonal Competition for Resources Between Late Pleistocene Bison (Bison) and Horse (Equus) from Rancho La Brea, Southern California, Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology 271, 153-160. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.10.005
R. Feranec 2009, Evolution of Ecology in Mammals. Legacy: The Magazine of the New York State Museum 4, 13
R. Feranec, J. Cryan, J. Kirchman 2009, Evolution Every Day. Legacy: The Magazine of the New York State Museum 4, 10-11
J. Hart, G. Urquhart, R. Feranec, W. Lovis 2009, Non-linear Relationship Between Bulk d13C and Percent Maize in Carbonized Cooking Residues and the Potential of False-negatives in Detecting Maize, Journal of Archaeological Science 36, 2206-2212. 10.1016/j.jas.2009.06.005

2008

J.L. Blois, R. Feranec, E.A. Hadly 2008, Environmental Influences on Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Body-size Variation in California Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi), Journal of Biogeography 35, 602-613. 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2007.01836.x