About

David J Bottjer

Professor of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences

Contact Information
E-mail: dbottjer@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-6100
Office: ZHS 233c

LINKS
Curriculum Vitae
Personal Website
 

Education
B.S. Geology, Haverford College, 5/1973
M.A. Geology, State University of New York at Binghamton, 6/1976
Ph.D. Geology, Indiana University, Bloomington, 12/1978
 

Description of Research

Summary Statement of Research Interests
Professor Bottjer is a paleobiologist and paleoecologist who has worked broadly on organism-sediment interactions and the ecological history of life. His current research focuses on two broad paleobiological questions. The first includes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the paleobiology and paleoecology of early metazoan life, with field work conducted in eastern California and China. The second emphasizes obtaining a detailed understanding of the paleoecology of the recovery from the end-Permian mass and end-Triassic extinctions, with extensive work on Triassic strata throughout the western U.S., Europe, Japan and China. This Triassic research project has led to involvement in the Paleobiology Database, which has undertaken the development of large databases with web-based access to solve major outstanding paleobiological and evolutionary problems.
 

Research Specialties
Geobiology, evolutionary paleoecology, paleobiology, paleoclimatology, paleoenvironmental analysis, paleogenomics
 

Affiliations with Research Centers, Labs, and Other Institutions
Center for Chinese Fossil Discoveries, Co-Director,http://chinafossils.nhm.org
 

Honors and Awards
Fellow, The Paleontological Society, 2007-  
UCLA CSEOL Distinguished Scientist Award, 2001-2002   
 

Service to the University

Administrative Appointments
Co-Director, Center for Chinese Fossil Discoveries, 2008-  
Chair, Department of Earth Sciences, 08/16/2006-08/15/2009  
 

Service to the Profession

Editorships and Editorial Boards
Editor-in-Chief, Palaeogeography; Palaeoclimatology; Palaeoecology, 2000-  
Editor, Palaios, 1989-1996  
 

Professional Offices
President, The Paleontological Society, 2004-2006  
 
 
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