Ben Slater

My research aims to better understand major transitions in the history of life through the use of organically-preserved 'Small Carbonaceous Fossils' (SCFs). In particular, I use the SCFs record to reconstruct patterns relating to the origins and 'Cambrian Explosion' of animals, and the adaptation of life to the environments of the land (terrestrialization).

I am a palaeontologist based in the department of Earth Sciences, University of Uppsala. I am interested in major transitions in the history of life and using the fossil record to understand revolutionary changes in the biosphere and the development of intricate interactions between organisms. Specific topics of interest include the Cambrian Explosion of animal life, and the development of complex terrestrial ecosystems. My research has primarily focused on using the rich record of organic-walled microfossils - Small Carbonaceous Fossils (SCFs) and mesofossils - to answer questions regarding arthropod–plant interactions in the Palaeozoic, the coal-forming Permian floras of the Southern Hemisphere, and the initial diversification of animals and assembly of Phanerozoic-style ecosystems during the Cambrian.

My website: http://benslater.weebly.com/

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