<b>Arctic ecosystems shaped mammalian dispersal and diversification before the Cretaceous–

3.8 GB of data from the Upper Cretaceous Prince Creek Formation in northern Alaska, paleolatitude ~80–85°N, describing three new multituberculate mammal species. The dataset, authored by Sarah Shelley and last updated in May 2026, includes phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses to evaluate mammalian dispersal across a high-latitude Asian–American corridor before the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction. It contains files in PDF, TNT, NEX, XLSX, CSV, and ZIP formats.

Use Cases

• Phylogenetic analysis of multituberculate mammals based on comparative morphology and described species.
• Biogeographic modeling of intercontinental dispersal patterns based on evidence from the Asian–American terrestrial corridor.
• Ecological niche partitioning studies based on pronounced variation in dental morphology among Arctic species.
• Testing hypotheses about polar regions as evolutionary centers versus peripheries based on evidence of sustained exchange and endemism.

Strengths

• Data volume is 3.8 GB, indicating a medium-scale dataset.
• Includes multiple file formats (PDF, TNT, NEX, XLSX, CSV, ZIP) for varied analysis approaches.
• Focuses on a specific, rare high-latitude fossil site (Prince Creek Formation) with paleolatitude details (~80–85°N).
• Provides evidence for an early dispersal event dated to as early as 91.82 Ma.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Fossil collection and morphological analysis from the Prince Creek Formation, integrated with phylogenetic and biogeographic modeling.

Time Range

Late Cretaceous, with specific evidence dated to as early as 91.82 million years ago.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-01 10:16:14; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Prince Creek Formation, northern Alaska (paleolatitude ~80–85°N), referencing an Asian–American terrestrial corridor.