Ph.D., 1995, University of Arizona

M.S., 1990, University of Warsaw

Invertebrate Paleontology Collection

 

Concurrent Appointments

Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Florida

Adjunct Professor of Geosciences, Virginia Tech

 

Research Interests

Paleoecology, taphonomy, geochronology, stratigraphy, quantitative methods, marine ecology, conservation biology, mollusks, brachiopods

 

Selected Current Projects

• Higher-Taxon Fidelity: Comparative Taphonomy of Marine Benthic Associations in Holocene Depositional Systems of Coastal North Carolina [NSF]
• Geobiology of Critical Coastal Environments: Marine Conservation of Chiloe Island, Chile(Collaborations: Universidade Austral de Chile)
• Paleoecology and Ichnology of Neogene Marine Benthic Assemblages of Spain [Ministry of Educations, Goverment of Spain] (Collaborations: U. Barcelona)
• Stratigraphic Paleobiology of Marine Quaternary Successions of Po Plain, Italy [NSF] (Collaborations: U. Bologna, Northern Arizona U.)
• Holocene Shell Accumulations from the Southeast Brazilian Bight: Multi-Centennial Dynamics [NSF] (Collaborations: Sao Paolo State U., N. Arizona U., U. Kentucky)

 

Students and Post-Doctoral Research Associates

Dr. Austin Hendy, Senior Research Associate, Panama Digitization Project

Dr. Adiel Klompmaker, Jon L. and Beverly A. Thompson Post-Doctoral Fellow

Dr. Carrie Tyler, Post-Doctoral Researcher

Dr. Troy Dexter, Post-Doctoral Researcher

Sahale Casebolt, Ph.D. Student

Alexis Rojas, Ph.D. Student

 

Representative Recent Publications

Kowalewski, M., and Rothfus, T.A., (2012), Death and disintegration in Bahamas: Taphonomic patterns and processes in tropical island settings. Palaios 27: 123-126.

Kowalewski, M., Payne, J.L., Smith, F.A., Wang, S.C., McShea, D.W., Xiao, S., Novack-Gottshall, P., McClain, C.R., Krause, R.A., Jr., Boyer, A.G., Finnegan, S., Lyons, K., Stempien, J.A., Alroy, J., and Spaeth. P.A., (2011), The Geozoic Supereon. Palaios 26: 251-255.

Voice, P.J., Kowalewski, M., and Eriksson, K.A., (2011), Quantifying the timing and rate of crustal evolution: Global compilation of radiometrically dated detrital zircon grains. Journal of Geology 119: 109-126.

Kowalewski, M., and Finnegan, S., (2010), Theoretical biodiversity of the marine biosphere. Paleobiology36: 1-15.

Dexter, T., Kowalewski, M., and Read, J.F., (2009), Distinguishing Milankovitch-driven processes in the rock record from stochasticity using computer-simulated stratigraphy. Journal of Geology 117: 349-361.

Laflamme, M., Xiao, S., and Kowalewski, M., (2009), Osmotrophy in modular Ediacara organisms.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 106: 14438-14443.

Payne, J.L., Boyer, A.G., Brown, J.H., Finnegan, S., Kowalewski, M., Krause, R.A., Jr., Lyons, S.K., McClain, C.R., McShea, D.W., Novack-Gottshall, P.M., Smith, F.A., Stempien, J.A., and Wang, S.C., (2009), Two-phase increase in the maximum size of life over 3.5 billion years reflects biological innovation and environmental opportunity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 106: 24-27.

Shen, B, Dong, L, Xiao, S., and Kowalewski, M., (2008), The Avalon Explosion: Evolution of Ediacara morphospace. Science 319: 81-84.

Huntley, J.W., Yanes, Y., Kowalewski, M., Castillo, C., Delgado-Huertas, A., Ibáñez, M., Alonso, M.R., Ortiz J.E., and De Torres, T., (2008), Testing limiting similarity in Quaternary terrestrial gastropods. Paleobiology34: 378-388.

Huntley, J.W., and Kowalewski, M., (2007), Strong coupling of predation intensity and diversity in the Phanerozoic fossil record. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 104: 15006-15010.

Casey, M.M., Fraser, N., and Kowalewski, M., (2007), Quantitative taphonomy of a Triassic reptile:Tanytrachelos ahynis from the Cow Branch Formation, Dan River Basin, Solite Quarry, Virginia. Palaios22: 598-611.

Yanes, Y., Kowalewski, M., Ortiz, J. E., Castillo, C., De Torres, T., De La, and Nuez, J., (2007), Scale and structure of time-averaging (age mixing) in terrestrial gastropod assemblages from Quaternary eolian deposits of the eastern Canary Islands. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 251: 283-299.

Kowalewski, M., Kiessling, W., Aberhan, M., Fürsich, F.T., Scarponi, D., Barbour Wood, S.L., and Hoffmeister, A.P., (2006), Ecological, taxonomic, and taphonomic components of the post-Paleozoic increase in sample-level species diversity of marine benthos. Paleobiology 32: 533-561.

Kowalewski, M., Hoffmeister, A.P., Baumiller, T.K., and Bambach, R.K., (2005), Secondary evolutionary escalation between brachiopods and enemies of other prey. Science 308: 1774-1777.