Email: carrasco@berkeley.edu

Phone: (510) 643-6275

Web page: http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/barnosky/marcbio.htm

His research: "My research interests focus on understanding macroevolutionary processes using a large scale deep time perspective. Currently, I’m investigating the causes of changes in mammalian diversity in North America from 30 million years up to the present day and how humans have impacted (and continue to impact) this diversity since our arrival on the continent."

Why he chose to study Paleontology: "I was always interested in math, science, and all things dinosaur as a child, but it wasn’t until I went to college that I decided to pursue a career in paleontology. The turning point occurred over the summer after my freshman year in college when I read the book Dinosaurs in the Attic by Douglas Preston. It’s a fascinating account of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the expeditions of its scientists/explorers."

His path to Berkeley: "I grew up in the Bay Area and started my paleontological career here at Berkeley as an undergraduate. After completing my PhD at Columbia University and the American Museum of Natural History in New York, I had the opportunity to return to Berkeley as a postdoc – an opportunity I jumped at knowing the great people and resources at the University and the Museum of Paleontology (as well as the spectacular Northern California weather)."

Barnosky, A. D. and M. A. Carrasco. 2008. Using the fossil record to define natural biodiversity baselines in mammals. Symposium on Mining the Fossil Record Through Geoinformatics. 33rd International Geological Congress, Oslo, Norway

Carrasco, M. and A. D. Barnosky. 2008. Assessing the human impact on mammalian species diversity during the end-Pleistocene extinction: clues from the last 30 million years. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 (Supp. 3):61A

Carrasco, M. A., A. D. Barnosky, B. P. Kraatz, and E. B. Davis. 2007. The Miocene Mammal Mapping Project (MIOMAP): An online database of Arikareean through Hemphillian fossil mammals. Bulletin of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 39:183-188.  

Barnosky, A.D., M.A. Carrasco, and E.B. Davis. 2005. The impact of the species-area relationship on estimates of paleodiversity. PLoS Biology 3(8):e266. Pp. 1-5.