Dr. Robert Feranec

Director of Research and Collections, Curator of Pleistocene Vertebrate Paleontology
robert.feranec@nysed.gov
518-474-5819

While my interests encompass a broad scope of topics including influences on biogeography, causes of speciation and adaptive radiation, and triggers of extinction, my research has been focused at describing the evolution of ecology in mammals.  My research concentrates on examining ecology in mammals from short time scales (seasons) to very long time scales (millions of years). 

In order to understand ecology of fossil mammals, the modern quantitative and analytical techniques I employ include stable isotope geochemistry, utilization of bioinformatics databases, and computer-based imaging of fossils which permits quantitative analysis of various morphological features.  Fieldwork is also an important aspect of my research program, and I have conducted or participated in excavations in the U.S. and Spain. 

Typical questions addressed in my research include:

How does climate change effect ecology?
Does ecology change during development?
Does immigration/dispersal of new species affect ecology?
Does extinction/extirpation of species affect ecology?

I am interested and open to collaboration within and beyond North America.  Potential collaborators, including current or potential graduate students, are encouraged to email me.

Publications

2016

G. Geyer, E. Landing 2016, Comment on “Terreneuvian Small Shelly Faunas of East Yunnan (South China) and Their Biostratigraphic Implications”, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology , doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.04.016. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.04.016
E. Landing, A. Kouchinsky 2016, Correlation of the Cambrian Evolutionary Radiation: geochronology, evolutionary stasis of earliest Cambrian (Terreneuvian) small shelly fossil (SSF) taxa, and chronostratigraphic significance, Geological Magazine 153, 750-756. 10.1017/S0016756815001089
E. Landing, Joseph Meert, Natalia Levashova, Mikhail Bazhenov 2016, Rapid changes of magnetic Field polarity in the late Ediacaran: Linking the Cambrian evolutionary radiation and increased UV-B radiation, Gondwana Research 34, 149–157. 10.1016/j.gr.2016.01.001
E. Landing, Samuel Bowring, Judy Pu, Jahandar Ramezani, Paul Myrow, Timothy Raub, Andrea Mills, Eben Hodgin, Francis Macdonald 2016, Dodging snowballs: Geochronology of the Gaskiers glaciation and the first appearance of the Ediacaran biota, Geology 44, 955-958. 10.1130/G38284.1
E. Landing, M. Webster 2016, Geological context, biostratigraphy and systematic revision of late early Cambrian olenelloid trilobites from the Parker and Monkton formations, northwestern Vermont, U.S.A., Australasian Palaeontological Memoirs 49, 193-240.
Geyer, G., Landing, E., 2016. The Precambrian–Phanerozoic and Ediacaran–Cambrian Boundaries: A Historical Approach to a Dilemma, in: Brasier, A., McIlroy, D., McLoughlin, N. (Eds.), Earth System Evolution and Early Life: A Celebration of the Work of Martin Brasier. Geological Society of London, London, England, pp. 311-349.

2015

E. Landing, J. Antcliffe, M. Brasier, A. English 2015, Distinguishing Earth’s oldest bryozoan (Pywackia, Late Cambrian) from pennatulacean octocorals (Mesozoic–Recent), Journal of Paleontology 89, 292-317. 10.1017/jpa.2014.26
E. Landing, J. Antcliffe, M. Brasier, A. English 2015, Distinguishing Earths Oldest Bryozoan (Pywackia, Late Cambrian) from Pennatulacean Octocorals (Mesozoic-Recent), Journal of Paleontology 89, 292-317. 10.1017/jpa.2014.26
G. Geyer, E. Landing, R. Buckwaldt, S. Bowring 2015, Geochronology of the Cambrian: A Precise Middle Cambrian U-Pb Zircon Date from the German Margin of West Gondwana, Geological Magazine 152, 28-40. 10.1017/S0016756814000119
E. Landing, A.W.A. Rushton, R.A. Fortey, S.A. Bowring 2015, Improved Geochronologic Accuracy and Precision for the ICS Chronostratigraphic Charts: Examples from the late Cambrian–Early Ordovician, Episodes 38, 154-161.