Professor John Paterson

Biography

Professor Paterson’s research contributions have primarily focused on documenting the palaeo-biodiversity of Australian Cambrian and Ordovician biotas (ca. 444 to 541 million years ago) and using these key fossils to answer major questions relating to evolution, biogeography and palaeoecology during this critical time interval. He has also used these fossils in the relative dating and correlation of strata around the globe in order to refine the geologic timescale. The multidisciplinary nature of his work includes numerous publications on taxonomy, phylogeny, biostratigraphy, biogeography, taphonomy and palaeoecology. John’s current research focuses on Cambrian (540-510 million-year-old) fossils, especially from the Flinders Ranges and the globally significant Emu Bay Shale Konservat-Lagerstätte on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. His main area of expertise lies in arthropods, although he also studies molluscs, brachiopods, “worms” and other enigmatic organisms. John is very active in the Australian and international palaeontological communities. He was the Secretary of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists from 2006 to 2010, and is currently a Voting Member of the International Subcommission on Cambrian Stratigraphy.

2016 – present: Professor of Earth Sciences, School of Environmental & Rural Sciences, University of New England (Armidale, NSW)

2008 – 2020: Head of Earth Sciences, School of Environmental & Rural Sciences, University of New England (Armidale, NSW)

2014 – 2018: Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow, School of Environmental & Rural Sciences, University of New England (Armidale, NSW)

2012 – 2015: Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, School of Environmental & Rural Sciences, University of New England (Armidale, NSW)

2007 – 2014: Honorary Research Associate, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Macquarie University (Sydney)

2010 – 2012: Senior Lecturer in Earth Sciences, School of Environmental & Rural Sciences, University of New England (Armidale, NSW)

2007 – 2009: Lecturer in Earth Sciences, School of Environmental & Rural Sciences, University of New England (Armidale, NSW)

2006 – 2007: Research Fellow, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Macquarie University (Sydney)

2005: Research Fellow at the South Australian Museum & Lecturer in the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide

2004: Geologist (fixed-term, 6 months), Department of Mineral Resources, New South Wales; audit, curation and transfer of the palaeontological collection to Londonderry

2002 – 2005: Research Officer (casual), Centre for Ecostratigraphy & Palaeobiology, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Macquarie University

2002 – 2004: Casual Academic (Tutor), Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Macquarie University

READ FULL PROFILE