Department of Geology

        State University of New York at Buffalo

        772, Natural Sciences and Mathematics Complex

        Buffalo, New York 14260-3050, U.S.A.

        Phone: (716) 645-6800 ext. 3996

        e-mail: jorgm@acsu.buffalo.edu

1999     Extension of the Habilitation to include Geology

1998     Habilitation: Paleontology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Germany
Habilitation thesis title: The Ordovician of the island of Rügen and its paleogeographic position based on the graptolite faunal record

1992     Dissertation: TU Berlin, Germany (Ph. D.)
Dissertation thesis title: Biostratigraphy and paleogeography of Lower Ordovician graptolite faunas from eastern Canada and Scandinavia

1987     Diploma: University of Göttingen, Germany
 

Since January 2002        Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, State University of New York at Buffalo, New
                                           York, U.S.A.

Nov. 2000 - Apr. 2001    Research Assistant, University of Portsmouth, School of Earth, Environment and Physical
                                          Sciences, United Kingdom.

July 1999 - Dec. 2001     Lecturer, Univ. Greifswald, Germany (DFG Research Grant Ma 1269/5-1)

Aug. 1998 - Oct. 1999     Research Assistant, Institute for Applied Geology, TU Berlin, Germany

Oct. 1996 - Oct. 1998      Lecturer, Research Assistant, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

Apr. 1993 - Mar. 1995    Research Assistant, Department for Geology, SUNY Buffalo, N.Y. (DFG Research Grant Ma 1269/2-1)

Aug. 1993 - Jan. 1994    Lecturer, SUNY Buffalo, N. Y.

May 1987 - Sept. 1996   Research Assistant, Institute for Applied Geology, TU Berlin, Germany, DFG Grants Er 96/6-1 and Er 96/6-2
 

European Palaeontological Association (EPA)

Geological Society of America

Palaeontological Association, United Kingdom

Paläontologische Gesellschaft, Germany 

Member of the International Commission on Silurian stratigraphy

Member of the German Commission on Riphaean to Silurian stratigraphy

Member of the International Commission on Devonian stratigraphy 

Member of the Editorial Board: Zeitschrift für Geologische Wissenschaften.
 

1.     Introduction to Earth History (GLY 101), SUNY Buffalo, USA (1993)

2.     Exploring the Solar System I, Introduction to Geology  (GLY 103) + Lab & Fieldtrip, SUNY Buffalo, USA

3.     Exploring the Solar System II, Earth History (GLY 104) + Lab, SUNY Buffalo, USA

4.     Soft Rock II: Paleontology and Stratigraphy (GLY 216) + Lab & Fieldtrip, SUNY Buffalo, USA

5.     Macroworld: Great Discoveries in Science (UGC 303), SUNY Buffalo, USA

6.     Colonial Paleobiology (GLY 532) + Lab, SUNY Buffalo, USA

7.     Introduction to Stratigraphy, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

8.     Vertebrate Paleontology, lectures & labs, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

9.     Invertebrate Paleontology, lectures & labs, TU Berlin, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

10.  Paleontology of the Graptolithina, TU Berlin, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

11.  Fieldtrips in Germany and Scandinavia,  Univ. Greifswald, Germany
 

Research Interests

•   Ecology of the Paleozoic marine environment

•   Origin and evolution of the Hemichordata

•   Paleozoic chronostratigraphy

•   Biostratigraphy and ecostratigraphy of graptolites

•   Paleozoic Radiolaria

My research interest is centered in the area of Paleozoic biostratigraphyand paleogeography, working on graptolite and radiolarian faunas in Scandinavia and eastern North America. My main goal is using paleontological data in a geological context, as they essentially represent just one type of information available for valuable geological interpretations, whether they are sedimentological, structural or represent any other aspect of geology.

I am interested in the evolution of the marine ecosystem and its faunal interactions in the early Paleozoic (Cambrian-Silurian), interactions between fossil planktic faunas, the environment, climate and paleogeography to document extinction and origination rates and how they influence evolutionary patterns. Especially planktic colonial organisms like graptolites are generally considered as facies independent. Their distribution patterns is based on ecological factors like water mass specifities and temperature gradients. However, the ecological niche of these peculiar organisms in the planktic ecosystem is far from being well understood. Extinction and origination patterns of planktic graptolite faunas can give important clues to the interpretation of the oceanic realm as an ecologic system, and its specific evolution. Spacial and temporal distribution of faunas might shed light on the factors responsible for these events in the evolutionary history of the faunal groups involved and are an important tool to paleogeographic interpretations.

More recently I started to develop interest in the evolution of Paleozoic radiolarian faunas. Radiolarians appear first in the early Paleozoic, but their occurrence is poorly documented and their phylogeny and evolution nearly unknown. Serious problems in the taxonomy of Paleozoic radiolarian faunas still prevent them from being used successfully for ecological, biogeographical and biostratighraphical interpretations. Even though a fast change in faunal composition in the Paleozoic is apparent, their biostratigraphic usefullness is still severely limited.

I am using a high-resolution chrono- and biostratigraphic correlation approach to get data to trace and specify macro- and microevolutionary patterns and to attain detailed data sets for stratigraphic  and  phylogenetic research on graptolites. Therefore I am involved in a number of subcommissions of the ICS. It also includes the preparation of the Silurian Monograph of the German Subcommission of Silurian Stratigraphy (eds. T. Heuse, D. Leonhard & J. Maletz).

I am interested in micro- and macroevolutionary  patterns  of graptolites and pterobranchs as an example of the evolution of modular colonial organisms in the marine eco-system.  Phylogenetic interpretations as well as cladistic interpretations are based on structual analysis of colony design and might also lead to a better understanding of the phylogentic relationship to the modern hemichordates. Constructional morphology of the rhabdosomes help to understand the colonial needs of the zooids and colonies for their special planktic life style.