Feijó Lab

Our lab studies the evolution and biogeography of mammals, focusing on the processes that drive species diversification and the traits that enable them to succeed in different environments. We are also interested in how past geoclimatic events have shaped today’s biodiversity, and in identifying genetic, morphological, and life history features that influence resilience to both historical and ongoing extinction pressures.

Natural history collections and fieldwork is at the heart of what we do. We are also committed to outreach and education, sharing the value of science and highlighting the importance of collections for understanding biodiversity.

Our discoveries help protect biodiversity, reveal new species, define priorities for ecosystems protection, and shape conservation policy.

Our lab has four main lines of research, which often overlap and inform one another.

Taxonomy and Systematics:

Discovering Life’s Hidden Chapters

Every species is a unique story in the book of life. By describing new species and clarifying how they are related, we uncover biodiversity that might otherwise vanish unnoticed and provide the knowledge needed to protect it.

We use museum and field data and apply an integrative approach to define species boundaries, clarify phylogenetic relationships, and uncover hidden diversity.

Our previous projects have brought several new species to light, including conspicuous taxa such as the tree porcupines, armadillos, and cats, to more elusive groups such as big-eared bats and the Tibetan white-bellied rats.

Adaptive Evolution:

How Nature Shapes Survivors

From desert rodents to mountain pikas, animals adapt in remarkable ways to their environments. Studying these adaptations helps us understand how species survive and how they might cope with a rapidly changing world.

Our lab addresses this topic across diverse systems and timescales. Current projects include:

1. Investigating how climate change is reshaping mammal communities in the tropical Andes and forcing species to adapt—or vanish.

2. Exploring how urbanization is driving the evolution of mammals as they adapt to city life.

3. Using dental morphology to trace the evolution of mammals striking ecological diversity.

4. Identifying traits that allowed species to survive past extinction events and thrive in harsh environments.

These studies enhance our ability to predict extinction risk and identify vulnerable taxa and regions under accelerating anthropogenic change.

Macroevolution:

Tracing the Long Arc of Life

By looking deep into the past, we can see the forces that have shaped life over millions of years. These evolutionary patterns reveal why some groups flourish while others fade, and guide predictions about the future of biodiversity.

We integrate museum-based data, historical biogeography, phylogenetic comparative methods, and climate niche evolution to understand the origins and spread of mammalian lineages. We investigate which regions have served as centers of diversification, when and why dispersal and vicariant events occurred, and how trait evolution is constrained or facilitated in different geographic contexts. This work sheds light on the formation of biodiversity across deep time.

Conservation Biogeography:

Science with a Map and a Mission

Biodiversity conservation faces the constant challenge of limited resources. Strategic prioritization of species and regions is essential. Our lab applies biogeographic frameworks to guide conservation planning at global, regional, and local scales. We integrate species occurrence data from natural history collections with GIS, climate models, land-use data, and socio-economic indicators to:

· Map historical habitat loss

· Improve connectivity among populations

· Reveal main threats across the species’ range

· Evaluate species’ resilience to climate and habitat change

· Identify the most threatened groups and regions

· Assess human impacts on biota

These projects aim to inform more effective, data-driven conservation strategies and guide future research to fill knowledge gaps.

Our lab is based at the Field Museum of Natural History, home to one of the largest mammal collections in the world. Learn more about the our collection.

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