Dr Guy Harrington

Lecturer in Palaeobiology

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Contact details

Telephone +44 (0)121 41 46157

Fax +44 (0)121 41 44942

Email g.j.harrington@bham.ac.uk

University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

About

Dr Harrington studies changes in fossil communities over space and time primarily using pollen and spores. He is expert on Cenozoic palynology with emphasis on palaeoecology and evolving interests in macroecology.

Qualifications

  • B.Sc. Geography and Geology, Keele University
  • M.Phil. Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge
  • Ph.D. Cenozoic palynology, University of Sheffield

Biography

Guy joined the School in January 2004 and prior to that he was a Visiting Scientist in the Department of Paleobiology at the Smithsonian Institution (2002-2004) supported by the National Science Foundation. Guy worked at the National University of Ireland, Cork from 1999-2002 funded by the Rockall Studies Group and then by Enterprise Ireland. This followed from a one year Research Fellowship in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield (1998-1999) funded by ConocoPhillips.

Teaching

  • Earth Systems and Sedimentary Rocks
  • Palaeoenvironments and Geoconservation
  • Palaeoenvironments
  • Earth History
  • Micropalaeontology
  • Advanced Fieldskills
  • Advanced Project

In addition to the above courses for which Guy is module leader, he also team teaches on other modules such as Fieldskills 1, Dissertations and Topics in Geology.

Postgraduate supervision

Research Students since 2006

  • Phil Jardine (Started 2006) Paleocene vegetation and climate change from the US Gulf Coast.” (Lead supervisor: Dr G.J. Harrington)
  • Ben Slater (started 2010). “Reconstructing the Permo-Triassic floras of Prince Charles Mountains (Antarctica): phylogenetic and evolutionary significance” (Lead supervisor: Dr Jason Hilton)

Research

Primarily Guy’s research has centred around biological responses to the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) with emphasis on vegetation and environment changes to rapid global warming ≈55.8 Ma from North America (Bighorn Basin (WY), Williston Basin (ND), Ellesmere Island and the eastern and western US Gulf Coast).

This work continues from 2010-2012 through supervision of Dr Jiřina Dašková (EU Marie Curie Fellowship) on PEX: Testing for plant extinction across the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Participation is also ongoing and active in the BBCP (Bighorn Basin Coring Project) through a subaward from the National Science Foundation ($106,000) from 2011 – 2013 to examine floral trends through the PETM with a large US-led consortium of universities.

Other activities

Guy Harrington is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and is currently the Secretary for the Linnean Society Palynology Specialist Group. Previously he was a council member for the Palaeontographical Society and was co-opted onto Council for the Palaeontological Association. He organised the Annual Meeting for the Palaeontological Association in December 2009. He is currently also a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

Publications

Harrington, G.J 2010. Macroecology in Deep Time. Palaeontology.53:1201.

Harrington, G.J. 2008. Palaeocene-Eocene paratropical swamp palynofloras from Alabama and Mississippi, USA. Palaeontology v. 51: 611-622.

Harrington, G.J. & Jaramillo, C.A. 2007. Paratropical floral extinction in the Late Palaeocene–Early Eocene. Journal of the Geological Society of London v. 164: 323-332.

Wing, S.L., Harrington, G.J., Smith, F.A., Bloch, J.I, Boyer, D.M. & Freeman, K.H. 2005.Transient floral change and rapid global warming at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary.Science v. 310: 993–996.

Harrington, G.J., Clechenko, E.R & Kelly, D.C. 2005.Palynology and organic-carbon isotope ratios across a terrestrial Palaeocene/Eocene boundary section in the Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology v. 226: 214-232.

Harrington, G.J., Kemp, S.J., & Koch, P.L. 2004. Palaeocene–Eocene paratropical floral changes in North America: responses to climate change and plant immigration. Journal of the Geological Society of London. v. 161: 173–184.

Harrington, G.J. 2004. Structure of the North American vegetation gradient during the Late Paleocene/early Eocene warm climate. Evolutionary Ecology Research v. 6: 33–48

Harrington, G.J. 2003a. Wasatchian (early Eocene) pollen floras from the Red Hot Truck Stop, Mississippi, USA. Palaeontology v. 46: 725–738.

Wing, S.L. and Harrington, G.J. 2001. Floral response to rapid warming at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary and implications for concurrent faunal change. Paleobiology, v. 27(3): 539–563

Harrington, G.J. 2001. Impact of Paleocene/Eocene greenhouse warming on North American paratropical forests. Palaios, v. 16: 266–278

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