Palaeoecology | Evolutionary Biology | Palaeo-metabolism

I am a palaeobiologist specializing in the study of macroecology and macroevolution. My research sits at the nexus of evolution and ecology, emphasizing the study of the biological, geological, and environmental processes that control the co-occurrence of groups of species. For example, why are groups of species typically found together in the fossil record and what does this tell us about the environments in which they lived and died?

To answer this question, I integrate concepts, methods and data across a swathe of areas that encompasses my interests in macroevolutionary dynamics, ecosystem ecology, systematics and palaeoecology. I am particularly enthusiastic about projects where evidence from disparate fields can be combined to investigate novel hypotheses. My interest in a diverse range of research areas is driven by a motivation to increase our knowledge of the natural world, specifically by focusing on phenomena at several hierarchical scales.

I am currently a Professor in the Department of Geology at Northwest University in Xi’an, China. You can find out more about my career-to-date by accessing my Academic CV, reviewing my research foci or by looking at my teaching experience