Ben Slater

Ben Slater

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Doctoral Researcher

Contact details

Address
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Title of PhD: Reconstructing the Permian Prince Charles Mountains floras, Antarctica

Supervisors: Dr Jason Hilton (University of Birmingham), Stephen McLoughlin (external supervisor at the Swedish Museum of Natural History)

Ben is currently researching for a PhD entitled; Reconstructing the Permian Prince Charles Mountains Floras (Antarctica), which is co-supervised by Dr. Jason Hilton at the University of Birmingham and Dr. Stephen McLoughlin at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm. The project involves investigating the contents of 260 million year old silicified peats from East Antarctica. The exceptional detail revealed in the plant fossils of the peats provides a rare chance to reconstruct some of the important plants of the Permian Antarctic forests which contributed their biomass to the economically important coal deposits of the southern hemisphere.

Qualifications

  • MSc in Palaeobiology, 2009 - Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol.
    Thesis entitled "Description, phylogenetic analysis and taphonomy of a new Jurassic turtle from Spain"
    Supervisors: Professor Mike Benton and Dr Matias Reolid
  • BSc in Geology and Geography, 2008 - School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham.

Biography

After finishing his studies in Geology at the University of Birmingham Ben went on to complete a masters in Palaeobiology at the University of Bristol before beginning his doctorate at Birmingham. He has previously worked on Jurassic turtles as well as fossil plants and is interested in a wide range of fossil groups.

Research

Research interests

Palaeobotany, silicified peats, Permian floras, Gondwanan Palaeontology

Other activities

Ben is a member of the Palaeontological Association and a Doctoral Researcher Representative for the Geosystems Research Group.

Publications

Peer reviewed papers

Slater, B.J., McLoughlin, S., Hilton, J. 2011. Guadalupian (Middle Permian) megaspores from a permineralised peat in the Bainmedart Coal Measures, Prince Charles Mountains, Antarctica. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 167 (1-2), 140-155.

Slater, B.J., Reolid, M., Schouten, R., Benton, M.J. 2011. A new Late Jurassic turtle from Spain: phylogenetic implications, taphonomy and palaeoecology. Palaeontology, 54(6), 1393-1414.

McLoughlin, S., Slater, B.J., Hilton, J., Prevec, R. 2011. New vistas on animal-plant-fungal interactions in the Permian of Gondwana. GFF, 133, 66-67.

Non peer reviewed

Slater, B. 2011. Fossil Focus: Coal Swamps. Palaeontology Online.

Conference talks and posters

Slater, B.J., Reolid, M. and Benton, M.J. 2009. Description, phylogenetic analysis and taphonomy of a new Jurassic turtle from Spain. Talk given at Progressive Palaeontology (Birmingham, UK).

Slater, B.J., Reolid, M. and Benton, M.J. 2009. Taphonomy and phylogenetic implications of a new Upper Jurassic Turtle (External Prebetic, southern Spain). Poster presented at Spanish Congress of Palaeontology (Universidad de Málaga, Spain).

Slater, B.J., Reolid, M. and Benton, M.J. 2009. Description, taphonomy and phylogenetic implications of a new Upper Jurassic turtle (external Prebetic, Southern Spain). Poster presented at Palaeontological Association annual meeting (Birmingham, UK).

Slater, B.J., McLoughlin, S., Hilton, J. 2010. The Mid-Permian Prince Charles Mountains Floras, Antarctica. Poster presented at 8thEuropean Palaeobotanical and Palynological Conference (Budapest, Hungary).