Dr. Eric Roberts
Senior Lecturer
Sedimentology, Stratigraphy & Palaeontology
B.A. Cornell College (1996)
M.S. University of Montana (1999)
Ph.D. University of Utah (2005)
Rm TG149, Building DB34
Phone (07) 4781 6947; International +62 7 4781 6947
Fax (07) 4781 4020
Email: eric.roberts@jcu.edu.au
****I am currently seeking students interested in conducting PhD research that integrate tectonic, sedimentologic (detrital geochronology) and palaeontologic data for reconstructing Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary basins in Australia, China and East Africa. James Cook University offers competitive PhD scholarships to well-qualified applicants. Please email me for details (eric.roberts@jcu.edu.au).****
Teaching:
EA2110 Introduction to Sedimentology
EA3650/5650 Sedimentary Environments & Energy Resources
MB1110 Introductory Marine Science
Research Interests:
My primary research focuses on reconstructing the sedimentary and tectonic histories of late Mesozoic and early Tertiary continental basins. The two areas of interest for me include the Kaiparowits Basin in western North America, the Lufeng Basin in China, and a suite of sedimentary basins in Gondwana, including the Taoudeni and Iullemmeden basins (Mali), the Rukwa Rift Basin (Tanzania), the Congo Basin (DRC), the Mana Pools & Cabora Bassa basins (Zimbabwe), Algoa Basin (South Africa) and the Eromanga Basin (Australia), that provide important records of supercontinent disassembly. My research involves facies, architectural element, provenance (sandstone petrography and detrital zircon geochronology), and palaeocurrent analysis, along with sequence stratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, and lithostratigraphy to interpret and reconstruct tectonic and depositional histories. Moreover, I work in close collaboration with palaeontologists and palaeobotanists to provide geologic context to the floras and faunas preserved within these basins. This holistic basin analysis approach is critical to testing a variety of hypotheses related to past environments and climates, drainage histories, palaeobiogeography, and extinction and evolution of vertebrate and plant communities at the close of the Mesozoic and beginning of the Cenozoic in Gondwana and western North America.
Other research interests include: 1) sedimentology, ichnology and taphonomy of mixed carbonate-siliciclastic systems in the Eastern Cape of South Africa (Alexandria Fm) and the Great Barrier Reef System in Northern Queensland; 2) vertebrate taphonomy—particularly in relation to basin-scale controls on the preservation and distribution of widespread vertebrate fossil accumulations in the sedimentary record; and 3) continental ichnology,including experimental investigation of the role of insects in bioerosion and production of borings in vertebrate bones and wood.
Current Research Projects:
Australia—Reconstructing Mesozoic landscapes and tectonics of Eastern Australia through sedimentary provenance studies.
Tanzania, Africa—Rukwa Rift Basin Project. Collaborators: P. O’Connor, N. Stevens, M. Gottfried, and others.
China—Stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Group, Yunnan Province. Collaborators: R. Reisz, C. Sullivan, T. Huang.
Southern Utah, Grand Staircase-Escalante N.M.—Kaiparowits Basin Project. Collaborators: S. Sampson, K. Johnson, M. Loewen, M. Getty, L. Tapanila, A. Titus, B. Gates, L. Zanno, P. O’Connor, B. Foreman, A. Deino, S. Bowring, and many others.
Mali, Africa—Trans-Saharan Seaway Project: An examination of the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum in a section with vertebrate fossils in continental tropical Africa. Collaborators:M. O’Leary, L. Tapanila, M. Novacek, M. Bouare.
Zimbabwe, Africa—Taphonomy of a mass-assemblage of Syntarsus rhodesiensis skeletons in the Mana Pools Basin, Zimbabwe & Tectonics and sedimentation of the Zambezi Rift.Collaborators: T. Broderick, P. O’Connor, M. Carrano, P. Dirks, and many others.
Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa— Stratigraphy and depositional environments of the sedimentary cover sequences in the Congo Basin. Collaborators: H. Jelsma, S. Perrit, T. Hegna
South Africa—Algoa Basin Project, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Collaborators:B. de Klerk; D. Goodwin; L. Tapanila
Experimental taphonomy—Continental ichnology of borings in wood and bone. Collaborators: L. Backwell, L. Tapanila, B. Foreman, R. Rogers
Recent Publications:
2012Reisz, R., Evans, D., Roberts, E.M., Sues, H.D., and Yates, A.M. Oldest known nesting site and the reproductive biology of the Early Jurassic sauropodomorph Massospondylus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 109(4): 10.1073/pnas.1109385109.
2012Roberts, E.M., Stevens, N.J., O’Connor, P.M., Dirks, P.H.G.M., Gottfreid, M.D., Clyde, W.C., Armstrong, R.A., Kemp, A.I.S., and Hemming, S. Initiation of the western branch of the East African Rift coeval with the eastern Branch. Nature Geoscience 5. DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1432.
2012Tapanila, L., and Roberts, E.M., The earliest evidence of Holometabolan insect pupation in conifer wood. PLoS ONE 7(2): e31668. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031668.
2011Jinnah, Z.A., and Roberts, E.M., Facies associations, paleoenvironments and base level changes in the Upper Cretaceous Wahweap Formation. Journal of Sedimentary Research 81, 266-283.
2010 Claeson, K.M., O’Leary, M.A., Roberts, E.M., Sissoko, F., Bouare, M., Tapanila, L., Goodwin, D., and Gottfried, M.D. First Mesozoic record of the stingray Myliobatis wurnoensis from Mali and a phylogenetic analysis of Myliobatidae incorporating dental characters: Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 55, 214-223.
2010 Gates, T.A., Sampson, S.D., Zanno, L.E., Roberts, E.M., Eaton, J.G., Nydam, R.L., Hutchison, J.H., Smith, J.A., Loewen, M.A., Getty, M.A. Biogeography of terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) Western Interior of North America: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 291, 371-387.
2010Larsen, J.S., Link, P.K., Roberts, E.M., Tapanila, L., and Fanning, C.M., Cyclic stratigraphy of the Paleocene Pine Hollow and detrital zircon provenance of Campanian to Eocene sandstones of the Kaiparowits and Table Cliffs basins, south-central Utah. In: S. M. Carney, D.E. Tabet and C. L. Johnson (eds.), Geology of South-Central Utah,Publication 39 of the Utah Geological Association, pgs. 194-224.
2010O’Connor, P.M., Sertich, J.J.W., Stevens, N.J., Roberts, E.M., Gottfried, M.D., Hieronymus, T.L., Jinnah, Z.A., Ridgely, R., Ngasala, S.E., and Temba, J. The evolution of Mammal-like Crocodyliforms in the Cretaceous of Gondwana. Nature 466, 748-751.
2010Roberts, E.M., and Chan, M.A., Variations in iron oxide, iron sulfide and carbonate concretions and their distributions in fluvio-deltaic and neashore sandstones: sandstones: Cretaceous examples from the Kaiparowits Plateau, Utah and San Juan Basin, New Mexico. In: S. M. Carney, D.E. Tabet and C. L. Johnson (eds.), Geology of South-Central Utah,Publication 39 of the Utah Geological Association, pgs. 151-177.
2010Roberts, E.M., O’Connor, P.M., Stevens, N.J., Gottfried, M.D., Jinnah, Z.A., Ngasala, S., and Armstrong, R.A. Sedimentology and depositional environments of the Red Sandstone Group, Rukwa Rift Basin,southwestern Tanzania: New insight into Cretaceous and Paleogene terrestrial ecosystems and tectonics in sub-equatorial Africa: Journal of African Earth Sciences 57 (Presidential Review Paper 15), 179-212.
2010Sampson, S.D., Loewen, M.A., Farke, A., Roberts, E.M., Forster, C., Smith, J.A., and Titus, A.D. New Horned Dinosaurs from Utah Provide Evidence for Intracontinental Dinosaur Endemism: PLoS ONE 5(9): e12292. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012292
2010Getty, M.A., Loewen, M.A., Roberts, E.M., Titus, A.L., and Sampson, S.D. Taphonomy of horned dinosaurs (Ornithischia: Ceratopsidae) from the late Campanian Kaiparowits Formation, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah. In Ryan, M.J., Chinnery-Allgeier, B.J., Eberth, D.A. (Eds.). New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium, Indiana University Press, pgs. 478-494.
2009Gottfried, M.D., Stevens, N.J., Roberts, E.M., O’Connor, P.M., and Chami, R. A new Cretaceous lungfish (Dipnoi: Ceratodontidae) from the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania: African Natural History 5, 1-11.
2009Jinnah, J. A., Roberts, E.M., Deino, A.D. Larsen, J.S., Link, P.K., & Fanning, C.M., New 40Ar/39Ar and detrital zircon U-Pb ages for the Upper Cretaceous Wahweap and Kaiparowits formations on the Kaiparowits Plateau, Utah: implications for regional correlation, provenance, and biostratigraphy: Cretaceous Research 30, 287-299.
2009 Stevens, N.J., Holroyd, P.A., Roberts, E.M., O’Connor, P.M., Gottfried, M.D. Kahawamys mbeyaensis (n. gen., n. sp.) (Rodentia: Thryonomyoidea) from the late Oligocene Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29, 631-634.
2009 Stevens, N.J., Roberts, E.M., O’Connor, P.M., Gottfried, M.J. Rukwalorax kitanajino (n. gen., n. sp.) (Mammalia: Hyracoidea) from the late Oligocene Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29, 972-975.
2008Hill, R.V., McCartney, J.A., Roberts, E.M., Bouare, M., Sissoko, F., & O’Leary, M.A. Dyrosaurid (Crocodyliformes: Mesoeucrocodylia) Fossils from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene of Mali: Implications for phylogeny and survivorship across the K-T Boundary. American Museum Novitates 3631, 1-19.
2008 Roberts, E.M., Tapanila, L., and Mijal, B. Taphonomy and sedimentology of storm-generated continental shell beds: A case example from the Cretaceous Western Interior Basin: Journal of Geology 116, 462-479.
2008Stevens, N.J., Gottfried, M.D., Roberts, E.M., Ngasala, S., Kapilima, S., & O’Connor, P.M. Paleontological exploration of Africa: A view from the Rukwa Rift Basin of Tanzania: in Fleagle, J.G. and Gilbert, C.C. (eds.), Elwyn Simmons: A Search for Origins. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects, Springer, pgs. 159-180.
2008Tapanila, L., Roberts, E.M., Bouare, M.L., Sissoko, F., & O’Leary, M.A. Phosphate taphonomy and paleoecology of bone and coprolite conglomerates: A case study from the Eocene of Mali, NW Africa: Palaios 23, 139-152.
2007 Feldmann, R. M., O'Connor, P.M., Stevens, N.J., Gottfried, M.D., Roberts, E.M., Ngasala, S., Rasmusson, E.L., & Kapilima, S.A new freshwater crab (Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamonautidae) from the Paleogene of Tanzania, Africa. Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Palaontologie 244, 71-78.
2007 Gaffney, E.S., Roberts, E.M., Sissoko, F., Bouare, M.L., Tapanila, L., & O’Leary, M.A. Acleistochelys, a new side-necked turtle (Pelomedusoides: Bothremydidae) from the Paleocene of Mali: American Museum Novitates 3549, 1-24.
2007 Roberts, E.M. Facies architecture and depositional environments of the Upper Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation, southern Utah: Sedimentary Geology 197, 207-233.
2007 Roberts, E.M., Rogers, R.R., & Foreman, B.Z. Continental insect borings in dinosaur bone: examples from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar and Utah: Journal of Paleontology 81, 201-208.
In press Backwell, L., Parkinson, A., Roberts, E. M., d’Errico, F., Huchet, J-B. Criteria for identifying bone modification by termites in the fossil record. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.
In press Roberts, E.M., Sampson, S.D., Deino, A.D. and Bowring, S.A., The Kaiparowits Formation: a remarkable record of Upper Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems, Evolution and Tectonics in Western North America. In A. Titus and M. A. Loewen (eds.), Advances in Late Cretaceous Western Interior Paleontology and Geology. Indiana Press, Bloomington.
In press Sampson, S. D., Loewen, M. A., Roberts, E. M., and Getty, M. A. A new macrovertebrate assemblage from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of southern Utah.In A. Titus and M. A. Loewen (eds.), Advances in Late Cretaceous Western Interior Paleontology and Geology. Indiana Press, Bloomington.
In press Tapanila, L., and Roberts, E.M., Facies associations of continental mollusks in the Kaiparowits Formation in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah. In A. Titus and M. A. Loewen (eds.), Advances in Late Cretaceous Western Interior Paleontology and Geology. Indiana Press, Bloomington.
In press Titus, A., Roberts, E.M., Albright, B., Bowring, S.A., and Deino, A.D. Stratigraphic overview of the Upper Cretaceous strata of the Kaiparowits Plateau, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah. In A. Titus and M. A. Loewen (eds.), Advances in Late Cretaceous Western Interior Paleontology and Geology. Indiana Press, Bloomington.
Adella Edwards of 6630staff last updated this page on 11 Mar 2013.