Teaching         Research         Publications       Links

Teaching:

"There is always something new in geology. Imagine having to teach calculus!"-Richard Cowen

• Historical Geology (GLY 262). Next offered: Spring, 2009
• Invertebrate Paleontology (GLY 363). Next offered: Spring, 2009
• Stratigraphy (GLY 471). Fall, 2008
• Supplemental Field Studies (GLY 400).On occassion
• Data Analysis in Natural Sciences (GLY 281). Next offered: Fall, 2008
• History of Geology (GLY 573). Offered on occasion

return to top ^

Research Interests:

My research interests mainly reside in the following three areas:

• Paleobiology and paleoecology of bivalve molluscs
• Diversity and extinction of Early Mesozoic marine invertebrate faunas
• Biochronology of Triassic bivalve molluscs

One of my main areas of research focuses on the patterns and causes of the end-Triassic mass extinction, one of the five largest throughout the history of life. Currently, this work is funded by a National Science Foundation EAR grant which supports field work and research training for SUNY Cortland undergraduate students on the well preserved faunas in Austria and Italy. This interdisciplinary research combines systematic paleontology and paleoecology of bivalved molluscs, with geochemical and paleoecological analyses. As part of my work on the end-Triassic extinction, I am currently a co-leader of the International Geological Correlation Programme (IGCP) Project 458: Triassic-Jurassic Boundary Events: Mass Extinction, Gloabal Environmental Change, and Driving Forces. This is a major 5-year international effort to facilitate cooperative research amongst different geoscience disciplines and scientists from more than 25 different countries. Click here to go to the IGCP 458 web site. The exact datum defining the Triassic/Jurassic is currently being decided by the International Subcommission on Jurassic Stratigraphy and I am one of the advocates for choosing the carbon isotope anomaly the closely coincides with the mass extinction event.

Another of my on-going projects, funded in part by the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemcial Society and by the National Science Foundation, is entitled: Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Taxonomic and Ecologic diversity of Marine Triassic Bivalve Molluscs of Western North America. This research has taken me to collect fossil bivalve molluscs from the marine Triassic of many western states, Canada and Mexico. Understanding which extrinsic or intrinsic factors may have influenced the changes in bivalve diversity through the North American Triassic provides critical information on the adaptive radiation following the largest of all mass extinctions at the end of the Permian. This research actively involves undergraduates in all aspects of the field and laboratory work.

A small part of a very diverse and exquisitely preserved silicified fauna from the Upper Triassic (Norian) of southeast Alaska. Bivalves (on left side) represent many new taxa and contribute significantly to total taxonomic richness known from the Norian stage. From a manuscript in preparation. [click on image for a larger view]

 A third aspect of my professional interest is in the establishment and refinement of the geological timescale for the Triassic Period. In this regard, I am currently the Secretary of the Subcommission on Triassic Stratigraphy (STS). Under the auspicies of the International Commission on Stratigraphy and the International Union of Geological Sciences, the STS is the international governing body that is working to define the various subdivisions (ages) of the Triassic Period.  I currently am involved in several biochronological studies of Triassic thin-shelled bivalves belonging to the genera Daonella, Halobia, and Monotis.

Temporal ranges of biochronologically important thin-shelled pteriomorphian and pectinacean bivalve genera during the middle and upper Triassic. [click on image for a larger view]

return to top ^

Selected Publications:

 Click here for the complete list of publications

• McRoberts, C.A., Krystyn, L. and Shea, A. 2008. Rhaetian (Late Triassic) Monotis (Bivalvia: Pectinoida) from the eastern Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria) and the end-Norian crisis in pelagic faunas. Palaeontology, v. 51. pp. 571-535. [pdf]
  
  
• McRoberts, C. A., Ward, P. and Hesselbo, S. P.. 2007. A proposal for the base Hettangian Stage (= base Jurassic System) GSSP at New York Canyon (Nevada, USA) using carbon isotopes. International Subcommission on Jurassic Stratigraphy Newsletter. v. 34. pp. 43-49. [pdf]
  
  
• Hesselbo, S. P., McRoberts, C. A., and Pálfy, J.. 2007. Triassic-Jurassic boundary events: Problems, progress, possibilities, in Hesselbo, S. P., McRoberts, C. A., and Pálfy, J., eds., Special Issue: Triassic-Jurassic Boundary Events: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. v. 244, pp. 1-10. [pdf]
  
  
• Ward, P., Garrison, G., Williford, K., Kring, D., Goodwin, D., Beattie, M., and McRoberts, C. A.. 2007. The organic carbon isotopic and paleontological record across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary at the candidate GSSP section at Ferguson Hill, Muller Canyon, Nevada, USA, pp. 281-289. In Hesselbo, S. P., McRoberts, C. A., and Pálfy, J., eds., Special Issue: Triassic-Jurassic Boundary Events: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 244. [pdf]
  
  
• Hesselbo, S. P., McRoberts, C. A., and Pálfy, J., eds., 2007. Special Issue: Triassic-Jurassic Boundary Events: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 244. 423 p.
  
  
• Balini, M., Jenks, J. F., McRoberts, C. A., and Orchard, M. J., 2007, The Ladinian-Carnian boundary succession at South Canyon (New Pass Range, central Nevada): New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science Bulletin, v. 40, p. 127-138. [pdf]
  
  
• Ross, R. M., McRoberts, C. A., and Duggan-Haas, 2007, Creating a virtural fieldwork experience at a fossil-rich quarry, in McRoberts, C. A., ed., New York State Geological Association, 79th Annual Meeting Field Trip Guidbook, Albany, New York State Geological Association, 187 p. [pdf]
  
  
• McRoberts, C. A., editor. 2007, New York State Geological Association, 79th Annual Meeting Field Trip Guidbook, Albany, New York State Geological Association, 187 p.

• Yin, Jiarun and C. A. McRoberts. 2006. Latest Triassic-Earliest Jurassic bivalves of the Germig Formation from Lanongla (Tibet, China). Journal of Paleontology, vol. 80, no. 1, pp. 104-120. [abstract] [pdf]
  
  
• McRoberts, C. A., and N. D. Newell. 2005. Marine Myalinidae (Bivalvia: Pterioida) from the Permian of West-Texas. American Museum Novitates No. 3460, pp. 1-15. [abstract] [pdf]
  
  
• Hopkin, E. K. and C. A. McRoberts. 2005. A New Middle Triassic Flat Clam (Pterioida: Halobiidae) from the Middle Anisian of North-Central Nevada, USA. Journal of Paleontology, vol. 79, pp. 796-800. [pdf]
  
  
• McRoberts C. and Blodgett, R. 2002. Late Triassic (Norian) Molluscs from the Taylor Mountains, Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1662, pp. 55-75. [abstract] [pdf1: text] [pdf2: plates]
  
  
• McRoberts, C. A. 2001.Triassic bivalves and the initial marine Mesozoic revolution: A role for predators?. GEOLOGY. vol 29, pp. 359-362 [abstract] [pdf]
  
  
• McRoberts, C. A., and N. D. Newell. 2001. A new Permian myalinid genus, Elversella, of west Texas. American Museum Novitates, 3311, pp. 1-5.[abstract] [pdf]
  
  
• Orchard, M. J., Zonneveld, M. J., Johns, M. J., McRoberts, C. A., Tozer, E. T., and Sandy, M. R., 2001, Fossil succession and sequence stratigraphy of the Upper Triassic of Black Bear Ridge, northeast British Columbia, a GSSP prospect for the Carnian-Norian boundary : Albertiana, vol. 25, p. 10-22.[abstract]
  
  
• Orchard, M. J., C. A. McRoberts, E. T. Tozer, M. J. Johns, M. R. Sandy, and J. S. Shaner. 2001. The Upper Triassic of Black Bear Ridge, Williston Lake, northeast British Columbia: an integrated biochronology. Geological Survey of Canada Current Research. vol. 2001-A6, p. 1-21.[abstract]
  
  
• McRoberts, C. A. 2001. A review of Building Planet Earth: five billion Years of Earth History by P. Cattermole. Palaios, vol. 16(3), p. 306.[pdf]
  
  
• McRoberts, C. A. 2000. A primitive Halobia (Bivalvia: Halobioidea) from the Triassic of northeast British Columbia. Journal of Paleontolgy, vol. 74, pp. 599-603. [abstract] [pdf]
  
  
• Pandey, D.K., C.A. McRoberts, and M.K. Pandit. 1999. Dimorpharaea (Scleractinia, Anthozoa) from the Middle Jurassic Of Kachchh, India, Journal of Paleontology, vol. 73, pp. 1015-1028. [abstract]
  
  
• McRoberts, C.A. 1998. Late Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) bivalves from the Antimonio Formation, northwest Sonora, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas, vol. 14, no. 2. pp. 167-177. [abstract]
  
  
• McRoberts, C.A. 1998. The sea level did it: A review of Mass Extinctions and their Aftermath by A. Hallam and P. Wignall. American Paleontologist, vol. 6, no.2, pp.10-11.
  
  
• McRoberts, C.A. , Furrer, H., and Jones, D. 1997. Palaeoenvironmental interpretation of a Triassic-Jurassic boundary section from western Austria based on palaeoecologic and geochemical data. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol. 136, pp.79-95. [abstract] [pdf]
  
  
• McRoberts, C.A. and Newell, N.D. 1997. Novaculapermia, gen. nov., a transitional myalinid bivalve from the Lower Permain of west Texas. Palaeontology, vol. 40, pp.487-495. [abstract]
  
  
• McRoberts, C.A. 1997. Late Triassic North American Halobiid Bivalves: Diversity trends and circum-Pacific Correlations. In: Dickins, J.M., et al. (eds.), Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic Circum-Pacific Events. Cambridge University Press, pp. 198-208.
  
  
• McRoberts, C.A. and Aberhan, M. 1997. Marine diversity and sea-level changes: numerical tests for association using Early Jurassic bivalves. Geologische Rundschau, vol. 86, pp. 160-167. [abstract]
  
  
• McRoberts, C.A. and Newton, C.R. 1995. Selective extinction among end-Triassic European bivalves. GEOLOGY, vol. 23, pp. 102-104. [pdf]
  
  
• McRoberts, C.A., Newton, C.R., and Allasinaz, A. 1995. End-Triassic bivalve extinction: Lombardian Alps, Italy. Historical Biology, vol. 9, pp. 297-317.
  
  

return to top ^

Other Points of Interests:

• The Central New York Paleontology Group. An informal group of professional and student paleontologists in the central New York Region.
  
  
• The clearing house of paleontological information and resources can be found at Paleonet.
  
  
• The Paleontological Society
  
  
• The Paleontology Portal
  
  
• Paleontological Research Institute
  
  

return to top ^

And a quote worth thinking about . . .

"if new paleontologists fail to develop and actively exploit an area of empirical expertise in systematics, we will eventually begin to fold in upon ourselves, use and reuse the same inadequate data and finally, like the legendary foo-bird, fly around in ever tightening circles, until we fly up our own collective asshole and disappear. "-Steven J. Gould

	Return to SUNY Cortland's Paleo Lab main page
	Return to SUNY Cortland's Geology Department
	Return to SUNY Cortland's main page

Questions or comments: mcroberts@cortland.edu

Page Created: September, 1997 Last modified: June 1, 2008

"The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by SUNY Cortland."