Research projects for 2009-2010

The research project comprises 50% of your overall assessment. The project outlines below include some exciting research opportunities, which should lead to publications. At this stage, you should discuss any projects that interest you, with the appropriate supervisor(s) (University of Bristol supervisor(s) indicated with an *). There may be some flexibility in the projects, so if you have any additional ideas or suggestions, then discuss them with the supervisor(s). It is very important that you enjoy doing your research project; it will be hard work, so choose something that really interests you.

You have about a month to choose a research project. A 1000-word written report [excluding references, tables, figure legends] is required by the 9th November, 5 pm (please submit to dept. office, and leave copies in SJB's and your UOB supervisor(s) pigeon hole). This report should include an account of the work to be undertaken, a brief literature review, an itinerary/work schedule, discussion of the approach/techniques that you will use, details of any costs involved (e.g. fieldwork, museum visits, use of analytical equipment), and plans for publication(s). You should write this report with advice from your project supervisors(s).

In weeks 13-17 (i.e. February 2010) we will organise a series of Palaeobiology Discussion Group (PDG) presentations for you to do on your research project (details will follow), and we expect you to have completed your literature review by then. Both the November report and the PDG presentation are very important, and will be assessed as part of the 'Scientific Communication' unit. You must also pass (>50%) both the report and presentation in order to remain on the MSc, and conduct the research project.

Students must submit a single CD-ROM with their thesis containing the text of their research project, all figures, and all databases, saved in standard formats (e.g. Word doc, Excel xls, pdf, Photoshop psd etc.).  The thesis should be formatted as a manuscript, intended for publication. Supervisors will encourage students to publish their results, and advise whether the thesis is publishable. If so, students will be advised on how to turn their thesis into a paper for a specific journal, and they should produce a draft manuscript within six months of leaving the course; the student will be first author, with the supervisor(s) as junior author(s).

Some of the projects involve museum visits and/or fieldwork; we will give you advice to obtain some external funding. In previous years, many MSc students achieved grants (e.g. from the Sylvester-Bradley fund of the Pal. Ass. or Pal. Soc.) to support their research work. There is also some internal (UoB) funding (Bob Savage Awards, Alumni), but you should apply for external funding, to qualify for these awards.

The suggested M.Sc. research projects on offer are:

PHYLOGENETICS

1. Investigating the accuracy and utility of supertree methods in palaeobiology by means of stratigraphic consistency

Supervisors: Professor Mike Benton* and Dr Davide Pisani

2. The phylogeny of the Remopleurididae (Trilobita: Asaphida) and the development of the hypostome

Supervisors: Dr Simon Braddy* and Mark Bell

3. A new look at xiphosuran phylogeny

Supervisor: Dr Simon Braddy*

4. The "Big Trig": The phylogeny of the Trigonotarbida

Supervisors: Dr Simon Braddy* and Dr Jason Dunlop

MACROEVOLUTION

5. Assessment of the fossil record of Crocodyliformes: how complete is our knowledge?

Supervisors: Marco Brandalise de Andrade*, Dr. Marcello Ruta* and Prof. Mike Benton*

6. When are stratigraphic data of utility in reconstructing evolutionary history?

Supervisors: Dr Phil Donoghue* and Dr Marcello Ruta*

7. Exploring evolutionary disparity

Supervisors: Dr Phil Donoghue* and Dr Marcello Ruta*

8. Disparity in planktic foraminifers

Supervisors: Dr Phil Donoghue* and Dr Daniela Schmidt*

9. The evolutionary history of the Arachnomorpha: disparity and rates of change

Supervisors: Dr Simon Braddy* and Dr Marcello Ruta*

10. Ichthyosaur phylogeny and disparity: comparing the Triassic and Jurassic bottlenecks

Supervisors: Prof. Mike Benton*, Dr Marcello Ruta* and Dr Ryosuke Motani

11. Quantifying evolutionary convergence across mass extinctions
Supervisors: Dr Simon Braddy* and Jennifer Hoyal Cuthill

MORPHOMETRICS / BIOMECHANICS

12. Using experimental fracture mechanics to understand intraspecific variation in beak shape amongst African seed-crackers

Supervisors: Dr. Phil Anderson*, Dr. Emily Rayfield* and Dr. Anthony Herrel

13. Linking evolution to development in planktic foraminifers using synchrotron radiation micro CT scanning

Supervisors: Dr Daniela Schmidt* and Dr Emily Rayfield*

14. Did feeding or respiratory capacity limit the deployment of Palaeozoic blastoids?

Supervisors: Professor Chris Paul, Dr Simon Braddy* and Dr Marcello Ruta*

15. Two families of broad-skulled early amphibians contrasted: skull and lower jaw morphometrics of Brachyopidae and Chigutisauridae

Supervisors: Dr Marcello Ruta* and Professor Mike Benton*

16. You really are what you eat? The functional plasticity of mice jaws in response to hard or soft food diets

Supervisors: Dr Emily Rayfield*, Dr Phil Anderson* and Dr Sabrina Renaud

17. Skull biomechanics of the first modern crocodilian Isisfordia duncani

Supervisors: Dr Emily Rayfield*, Dr Stephanie Pierce and Dr Steve Salisbury

PALAEOBIOLOGY, TAPHONOMY AND PALAEOECOLOGY

18. Palaeobiology and palaeoecology of Middle Pennsylvanian fishes from Illinois

Supervisors: Professor Mike Benton*, Dr Marcello Ruta*, and Dr Howard Falcon-Lang

19. Cryptic species in planktic foraminifers and their effect on palaeoclimate reconstructions

Supervisor: Dr Daniela Schmidt*

20. Rhombocorniculum and the origin of the animal skeleton

Supervisors: Duncan Murdock* and Dr. Phil Donoghue*

21. Russian crocodylians: morphology and evolution of a neglected group

Supervisors: Marco Brandalise de Andrade*, Dr. Marcello Ruta* and Prof. Mike Benton*

TRACE FOSSILS

22. Vertebrate (?) burrows from the Early Permian of Devon

Supervisors: Professor Mike Benton*, Dr Mary Benton*, Dr Kevin Page, Dr Simon Braddy*, and James Bellchambers

23. Arthropod resting traces: 'ichno'-ghosts of the past

Supervisor: Dr Simon Braddy*

24: A marginal-marine ichnofauna from the Aalenian (Middle Jurassic) Birdlip Limestone Formation of the North Cotswolds, England

Supervisors: Dr Jon Radley and Dr Simon Braddy*