PalEO – Paleobiology and Evolution Ottawa – Group
The Capital Region is home to a thriving Vertebrate Paleontology research and training community. Our diverse faculty support the Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoecology Undergraduate Program, as well as mentor graduate students at Carleton University.
Carleton University, Canadian Museum of Nature & University of Ottawa
The PalEO Team:
Dr. Hillary C. Maddin, Carleton University: Hillary is an early tetrapod researcher interested in the origin and evolution of diversity from developmental, functional and ecological perspectives. Hillary uses primarily amphibians as models, integrating extant model organisms with fossil data. @Evo_Deva
Dr. Danielle Fraser, Canadian Museum of Nature & Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton: Danielle is a palaeoecologist and evolutionary biologist interested in how and why mammal communities form with the goal of understanding the emergence of modern mammal communities and how they might change under ongoing global change. @palaeoeco
Dr. Tetsuto Miyashita, Canadian Museum of Nature & Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton and University of Ottawa: Tetsuto’s primary research interest resides within the broad theme of vertebrate origins and early evolution.Tetsuto has developed independent lines of inquiry in fossils and embryos, connected by the threads of phylogenetically informed anatomical comparison.
Dr. Jordan Mallon, Canadian Museum of Nature & Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton: Jordan’s research focuses on dinosaur ecology, particularly on those factors that influenced dinosaur diversity leading up to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Jordan studies dinosaur feeding adaptations, community ecology and geographic distribution. @Jordan_Mallon
Dr. Claudia Schroder-Adams, Carleton University: Claudia’s research focuses on micropaleontology with special emphasis on Foraminifera as paleoenvironmental proxies. Claudia looks at the Cretaceous of the Arctic and western Canada, and their paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes.
Dr. Michael Ryan, Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton: Michael is an expert in horned dinosaur evolution and biology. Michael’s research includes the dynamics and taphonomy of dinosaur communities of the Northern Hemisphere, including, Western North America, Greenland and Mongolia.
Dr. Natalia Rybczynsky, Adjunct Research Professor, Carleton & Research Associate CMN: Natalia’s research interests include functional morphology and evolution of feeding and locomotor systems in vertebrates. Her fieldwork-driven research focusses on fossil mammals from the Neogene High Arctic, including the ancient bear, Protarctos, the proto-seal, Puijila, and High Arctic camel.
Dr. Xiao-Chun Wu, Canadian Museum of Nature: Xiao-Chun is interested in Mesozoic reptiles, their morphology, phylogeny, form and function, and biostratigraphy. He has been involved in the discovery of countless reptilian fossils including specimens of dinosaurs, primitive crocodiles, aquatic sauropterygians, terrestrial or semi-aquatic archosaurs, lepidosaurians and primitive turtles.
Dr. Robert Holmes, Research Associate, Canadian Museum of Nature: Rob’s earlier work involved Palaeozoic tetrapods. More recently Rob has studied ceratopsid dinosaurs and the occasional mosasaur as the opportunity presents itself. Although Rob runs with palaeontologists most of the time, he could just as easily be regarded as a morphologist who is drawn to interesting anatomical puzzles.
Dr. Steve Cumbaa, Canadian Museum of Nature.
PalEO Research Domains:
- Phylogenetic systematics and quantitative methods
- Evolutionary developmental biology
- Community (paleo)ecology
- (Paleo)climate science
PalEO team member fieldwork:
Atlantic Canada – Hillary leads annual expeditions to the Carboniferous deposits of Nova Scotia. There, the beaches and cliffs are prospected for the fossil remains of some of the earliest terrestrial vertebrate communities in the world. #CarletonNovaScotiaPaleo
Southern Saskatchewan/Grasslands National Park – Both Danielle and Jordan conduct fieldwork in this part of Canada. Danielle leads annual expeditions to the early Paleocene and early Miocene deposits of southern Saskatchewan, both inside the national park and in surrounding areas. Danielle and team look for new sites that bear fossil mammals and visit old sites in hopes of adding to our knowledge of the early Cenozoic and Neogene of Canada. Jordan has recently focused on relocating historical dinosaur quarries within the Park, with the goal of better understanding dinosaur evolution leading up to the extinction boundary.
Southern Alberta – Jordan and Michael conduct their work both independently and together in southern Alberta. Jordan’s primary field area is located on the South Saskatchewan River, near Hilda, where has excavated horned dinosaur bonebeds and skulls, among other finds.
Canadian High Arctic – Today, the High Arctic landscape of North America is tundra and polar desert. However, the Neogene fossil record preserves evidence of ancient polar forests, and in rare cases, fossil mammals. Natalia’s research collaborations focus on uncovering the evolutionary history and biology of these mammal lineages, many of which are related to modern mammals (e.g., beavers, camels, seals, bears). In addition, Natalia contributes to paleo-environmental research studies which investigate climate and landscape change in the Neogene High Arctic (e.g., PoLAR-FIT: Pliocene Landscapes and Arctic Remains—Frozen in Time).
China – Xiao-Chun conducts his regular fieldwork, with his collaborators, in southwest China (Yannan, Guizhou, and Sichuan provinces) and central China (Shanxi province).
Current PalEO trainees:
- Caleb Bohus (Maddin, Fraser, Miyashita), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Trystan Warnock-Juteau (Maddin, Fraser, Miyashita), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Eleanor Spence (Maddin, Fraser, Miyashita), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Conrad Wilson (Miyashita, Maddin), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Jeffrey Yee (Miyashita, Maddin), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Andrew Traynor (Maddin Lab), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Ashley Reynolds (Fraser Lab) CMN
- Thais Condez (Maddin, Miyashita) Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Matt Brenning (Fraser Lab), CMN & Earth Science, Carleton University
- Dana Korneisel (Maddin Lab), Earth Sciences, Carleton University @DanaKorneisel
- Ashan Ayanarajan (Mallon, Fraser, Nelson), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Caelan Libke (Mallon, Maddin), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Logan Micucci (Maddin, Fraser, Miyashita), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Blue Hunter-Moffatt (Fraser, Maddin), Earth Sciences Carleton University & CMN
- Misha Whittingham (Maddin Lab), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
PalEO Alumni:
- Zoe Landry (Fraser Lab), CMN & Biology, Carleton University @ZoeyLandry
- Marissa Livius (Mallon Lab), CMN & Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Brad McFeeters (Maddin Lab), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Erin MacKenzie (Maddin Lab), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Bryan Moore (Mallon Lab), CMN & Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Mat Roloson (Mallon Lab), CMN & Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Brigid Christison (Fraser Lab), CMN & Biology, Carleton University @Brigidomorpha
- Thomas Arbez (Maddin Lab), Earth Sciences, Carleton University
- Jade Atkins (Maddin Lab), Earth Sciences, Carleton University @Jadeinottawa
- Arjan Mann, PhD @MannArjan
- Matthew Brenning, MSc.
- Gabrielle Adams, MSc.
- Taia Wyenberg-Henzler, MSc. @Taia_Henzler
- Bassel Arnaout, MSc. @PaleoEvoDevo
- Thomas Dudgeon, MSc. @Tom_Dudgeon
- Ryan Patterson, MSc.
- Michael Thompson, MSc. @WensThomp
Links:
- Canadian Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology
- Palaeo Poems (by Brigid Christinson, @palaeopoems)
- Paleoartist Henry Sharpe @bone_sharpe
- Alice Wilson Palaeontology Society (Carleton Women+ in Palaeontology)
