The Neoproterozoic–Cambrian origin and early evolution of animals, and the interaction of animals with the Earth System.
Research Area
I am a geologist and palaeobiologist whose research explores major evolutionary events in Earth history. The primary focus of my research is the Ediacaran biota, a group of fossils dated to ~580–539 million years ago that document the early stages of animal evolution and behavioural innovation. My group undertakes taxonomic and palaeoecological research to describe and characterize body and trace fossils from global localities, as well as studies in the fields of taphonomy (how and why organisms are preserved in the fossil record), sedimentology (to reconstruct the environmental conditions inhabited by ancient organisms), and macroevolution (to identify and explain large-scale trends in diversification and extinction). Other areas of interest include elucidating Neoproterozoic palaeoclimatic conditions (including the timing and extent of glacial events), Ediacaran–Cambrian palaeogeographic reconstructions, and ecological and taphonomic interactions between early animals and algae with microbial biofilms.
More geologically recent research interests include metazoan terrestrialization, the fossil record of meiofaunal organisms, and conservation palaeobiology. My work is grounded in detailed field-based observations, but incorporates a variety of experimental, analytical, petrological and big-data approaches. I have strong collaborations with an extensive network of national and international museums and research teams.
Project Interests
I am keen to supervise palaeobiological projects on any aspect of early animal evolution (spanning Tonian, Cryogenian, Ediacaran and Cambrian fossil records). Research could include tracking the radiation/extinction of specific clades; taxonomic and phylogenetic work describing new fossil material; palaeoecological investigation of organism interactions and behaviour; or evaluation of broad-scale trends in the fossil record to identify interplay between life and the environment. Projects could relate to specific organisms or global localities, application of new analytical or experimental techniques, or compilation and interrogation of global datasets. Projects relating to terrestrialization, meiofaunal evolution, or conservation palaeobiology are also welcomed.
