Collaboration
Australia
The group has good links with teams in Australia, where we work closely with the Geological Survey of Western Australia and the University of Western Australia on the earliest sedimentary rocks of the Pilbara craton to Hammersley Basins (c. 3550 Ma to 1800 Ma). Here our work concerns mapping the earliest signals for life. Projects include: analysis of the earliest beach and shoreline sediments and their ‘microbial’ traces (Dr David Wacey, U.W.A.), the earliest stromatolites (Dr Nicola McLoughlin University of Bergen), the geological context for the origins of life (Professor Martin Brasier), and the Apex chert debate and other ‘microfossil’ claims from early strata.
Through Richard Callow we have also worked with Glenn Brock of Macquarie University on the isotope stratigraphy of the Lower Cambrian.
Canada
In Canada, we are working with colleagues from Memorial University, Newfoundland on the nature of the earliest animals from the Proterozoic to Cambrian periods, alongside work in UK sections. The Ediacaran successions of Newfoundland are also regularly frequented by our group, working with Dr. Duncan McIlroy.
United Kingdom
We have set up a series of collaborative projects with scientists at the British Geological Survey, studying the Ediacaran successions and biotas of Charnwood Forest. This work is detailed further here: Charnia Research Group. The BGS has also assisted us with study of the historic collections of J. W. Salter from Long Mynd.
Our laser scanning of fossils has been undertaken in collaboration with Archaeoptics, allowing high resolution detail to be obtained from both casts and direct from outcrops.