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I am moving to the University of Oxford!
Published:
I have now joined the University of Oxford’s Department of Earth Sciences. For the next two years, as a Schmidt AI in Science Fellow, I will be working at the intersection between quantitative palaeoecology and artificial intellligence. My primary research objective will be to apply reinforcement learning to agent-based model simulations of the end-Triassic mass extinction to learn how marine animals can adapt to survive rapid climate change events. I am also interested in more broadly applying machine learning and artifical intelligence to learn more about patterns of biodiversity and early animal evolution.
5th Annual IFCRS Early Career Symposium
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I am pleased to be organizing again this year the International Fossil and Coral Reef Society Early Career Symposium on 19 November. We are excited to highlight 10 early career researchers from across the world who are working on a range of topics, from the earliest microbialite reefs to conservation management strategies in our future. This year, we are also hosting meet-the-lab sessions with PIs and online coffee break chats about career advice and emerging research frontiers. Keep an eye on IFCRS.com for news and udpates about how to register and attend!
New paper on ecosystem engineering and biodiversity.
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I am excited to share my newest publication, “Marine biodiversity was greater in the presence of ecosystem engineers throughout the Phanerozoic,” with Simon Darroch and William Gearty, which is officially published in Nature Communications today 🪱 🪸
Life and Planet 2026 and ESSG updates
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We have just finished another successful Life and Planet meeting. Many thanks as always to the Geological Society of London and Burlington House for hosting nearly 100 researchers from across the globe who came together to discuss the co-evolution of life and the environment.
portfolio
Under construction! Thank you!
Published:
publications
Increase in metazoan ecosystem engineering prior to the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary in the Nama Group, Namibia
Published in Royal Society Open Science, 2019
Complex trace fossils that appear prior to the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary in Namibia indicate early evolution of relatively high-impact ecosystem engineering
Recommended citation: Cribb, A. T., Kenchington, C. G., Koester, B. E., Gibson, B. G., Boag, T. H., Racicot, R. A., Mocke, H., Laflamme, M., and Darroch, S. A. F. (2019). "Increase in metazoan ecosystem engineering prior to the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary in the Nama Group, Namibia." Royal Society Open Science, 6, 190548.
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Complex marine bioturbation ecosystem engineers behaviors persisted in the wake of the end-Permian mass extinction
Published in Scientific Reports, 2020
Evidence from the trace fossil record of the survival of complex ecosystem engineering bioturbators in the Early Triassic
Recommended citation: Cribb, A.T., Bottjer, D.J. (2020). "Complex bioturbation ecosystem engineering behaviors persisted in the wake of the end-Permian mass extinction." Scientific Reports, 10(203).
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Paleoenvironmental analysis of Ernietta-bearing Ediacaran deposits in southern Namibia
Published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2020
Paleoenvironmental analysis of Ernietta from the Nama Group, Namibia
Recommended citation: Maloney, K. M., Boag, T. H., Facciol, A. J., Gibson, B. M., Cribb, A. T., Koester, B. E., Kenchington, C. G., Racicot, R. A., Darroch, S. A. F., and Laflamme, M. (2020). "Paleoenvironmental analysis of Ernietta-bearing Ediacaran deposits in southern Namibia.". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 556, 109884.
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The trace fossil record of the Nama Group, Namibia: exploring the terminal Ediacaran roots of the Cambrian explosion
Published in Earth-Science Reviews, 2021
Recommended citation: Darroch, S. A. F., Cribb, A. T., Buatois, L. A., Germs, G. J. B., Kenchington, C. G., Smith, E. F., Mocke, H., O’Neil, G. F., Schiffbauer, J., Maloney, K., Racicot, R. A., Turk, K. A., Gibson, B. M., Koester, B. E., Boag, T. H., Tweedt, S., and Laflamme, M. (2021). "The trace fossil record of the Nama Group, Namibia: Exploring the Ediacaran roots of the Cambrian Explosion." Earth-Science Reviews, 103435.
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Resilience of infaunal ecosystems during the Early Triassic greenhouse Earth
Published in Science Advances, 2022
Evidence from the trace fossil record of the Permian-Triassic boundary in China that benthic ecosystems were relatively resilient in the face of rapid climate change.
Recommended citation: Feng, X., Chen, Z., Benton, M. J., Su, C., Bottjer, D.J., Cribb, A. T., Li, Z., Zhao, L., Zhu, G., Huang, Y., and Guo, Z. (2022). "Resilience of infaunal ecosystems during the Early Triassic greenhouse Earth." Science Advances, 8, eabo0596.
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Ediacaran-Cambrian bioturbation did not extensively oxygenate sediments in shallow marine ecosystems
Published in Geobiology, 2023
Sediment biogeochemistry modeling coupled with trace fossil record data gives no evidence for early bioturbation oxygenation effect.
Recommended citation: Cribb, A.T., van de Velde, S.J., Berelson, W.M., Bottjer, D.J., Corsetti, F.A. (2023) $quot;Ediacaran-Cambrian bioturbation did not extensively oxygenate sediments in shallow marine ecosystems." Geobiology 21(4).
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Contrasting terrestrial and marine ecospace dynamics after the end-Triassic mass extinction event
Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2023
New functional ecology framework for terrestrial fossils reveals decoupled terrestrial and marine biosphere responses to the end-Triassic mass extinction
Recommended citation: Cribb, A. T., Formoso, K., Woolley, H. C., Beech, J., Brophy, S., Byrne, P. J., Cassady, V. C., Godbold, A. L., Larina, E., Maxeiner, P., Wu, Y.H., Corsetti, F. A., and Bottjer, D. J. (2023). "Contrasting terrestrial and marine ecospace dynamics after the end-Triassic mass extinction event." Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 290, 20232232.
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Geobiology: Machine learning puts bioturbation on the map
Published in Current Biology, 2024
Bioturbation, the mixing of sediment through the actions of organisms, is a crucial ecosystem engineering process that controls biogeochemical cycles and helps structure marine ecosystems. Machine learning is helping to develop global maps of the intensity and depth of bioturbation.
Recommended citation: Cribb, AT, Darroch, SAF. (2024) "Geobiology: Machine learning puts bioturbation on the map." Current Biology, 34(13), PR630-632.
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How to engineer a habitable planet: the rise of marine ecosystem engineers through the Phanerozoic
Published in Palaeontology, 2024
The rise of bioturbating and reef-building ecosystem engineers
Recommended citation: Cribb, A.T., Darroch, S.A.F. (2024). "How to engineer a habitable planet: The rise of marine ecosystem engineers through the Phanerozoic" Palaeontology, 67(5).
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Tracking bioturbation through time: The evolution of the marine sedimentary mixed and transition layers
Published in Science Advances, 2025
New Phanerozoic record of sedimentary mixed layer depth and transition layer from the global trace fossil record.
Recommended citation: Tarhan, L.G., Pippenger, K., Cribb, A. T., Zill, M., Phelps, W., Savrda, C.E., Droser, M.L., Bottjer, D.J., Clapham, M.E. (2025) "Tracking bioturbating through time: The evolution of the marine sedimentary mixed and transition layers." Science Advances, 11, eadu7719.
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‘Earth system engineers’ and the cumulative impact of organisms in deep time
Published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2025
New framework to describe ecosystem engineers that have profoundly outsized effects on the Earth system.
Recommended citation: Darroch, S.A.F., Casey, M.M., Cribb, A. T., Bates, A.E., Clapham, M.E., Contreras, D.L., Craffey, M., Duijnstee, I.A.P., Gearty, W., Gotelli, N.J., Hamilton, M.J., Hayes, R.F., Hull, P.M., Ibarra, D.E., Lee, J., Looy, C.V., Lyson, T.R., Muddiman, B., Roopnarine, P.D., Shupinski, A.B., Smith, F.A., Stigall, A.L., Tome, C.P., Turk, K.A., Viallaseñor, A., Wagner, P.J., Wang, S., Lyons, S.K. (2025). "Earth systems engineers and the lasting impact of organisms in deep time" Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 40, 1066-1076.
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Predator-prey interactions in the Early Triassic ocean
Published in Nature Communications, 2026
New trace fossil evidence for complex ecological interactinos in the wake of the EPME.
Recommended citation: Feng, X., Chen, Z.Q., Benton, M., Bottjer, D.J., Cribb, A. T., Zhao, L., Jiang, Y., Zhao, H., Yan, P., Huang, Y. (2026). "Predator-prey interactions in the Early Triassic ocean" GSA Bulletin. 138(3807-3818).
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Marine biodiversity was greater in the presence of ecosystem engineers throughout the Phanerozoic
Published in Nature Communications, 2026
Ecosystem engineers positive impacts biodiversity throughout the Phanerozoic.
Recommended citation: Cribb, A.T., Darroch, S.A.F., Gearty, W. (2026). "Marine biodiversity was greater in the presence of ecosystem engineers throughout the Phanerozoic" Nature Communications. 17(9166).
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talks
Talk 1 on Relevant Topic in Your Field
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Conference Proceeding talk 3 on Relevant Topic in Your Field
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teaching
Teaching experience 1
Undergraduate course, University 1, Department, 2014
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Teaching experience 2
Workshop, University 1, Department, 2015
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