Calcium isotope study of Diictodon feliceps

This is a project to sample 20 skulls of the very common and abundant Permian dicynodont Diictodon feliceps. The microdrill sampling leaves microscopic marks, barely visible to the naked eye. The powder extracted will be used in order to analyse calcium isotopes at the Geoscience lab of the University of the Witwatesrand (South Africa). The aim of the project is to address differences in calcium fractioning between male and female Diictodon as this may be the evidence that females were using calcium to produce milk. Milk production was a landmark in the evolutionary origin of mammals, and addressing whether it had already evolved in Diictodon is crucial as it is an early synapsid, i.e. a mammalian ancestor. The project is lead by Prof. Julien Benoit and Prof. Grant Bybee, from the University of the Witwatersrand.