Stephen Dornbos

Adjunct Professor

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/dornbospaleo/

Education

PhD, University of Southern California
MS, University of Southern California
BA, College of Wooster

Research Interests

Evolution and preservation of early life on Earth; Geobiology of microbial structures in Precambrian and Cambrian sedimentary rocks; Evolutionary paleoecology of early animals during the Ediacaran–Cambrian biodiversification event.

Other Activities

Physical Scientist, U.S. Department of Defense
AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow, U.S. Department of Defense
Fellow, Geological Society of America

Selected Publications

Cordie, David R., Dornbos, Stephen Q., Marenco, Pedro J., Oji, Tatsuo, and Gonchigdorj, Sersmaa. “Depauperate skeletonized reef-dwelling fauna of the early Cambrian: Insights from archaeocyathan reef ecosystems of western Mongolia” Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology514. (2019): 206–221.

Cordie, David R., Dornbos, Stephen Q., and Marenco, Pedro J.“Increase in carbonate contribution from framework-building metazoans through early Cambrian reefs of the western Basin and Range, USA” PALAIOS34.3 (2019): 159–174.

Cordie, David R., and Dornbos, Stephen Q.“Restricted morphospace occupancy of early Cambrian reef-building archaeocyaths” Paleobiology45.2 (2019): 331–346.

Oji, Tatsuo, Dornbos, Stephen Q., Yada, Keigo, Gonchigdorj, Sersmaa, Hasegawa, Hitoshi, Mochizuki, Takafumi, Takayanagi, Hideko, and Iryu, Yasufumi. “Penetrative trace fossils from the late Ediacaran of Mongolia: Early onset of the agronomic revolution” Royal Society Open Science5. (2018): 172250.

Dornbos, Stephen Q., Oji, Tatsuo, Kanayama, Akihiro, and Gonchigdorj, Sersmaa. “A new Burgess Shale-type deposit from the Ediacaran of western Mongolia” Scientific Reports6. (2016): 23438.

Novek, Jonah M., Dornbos, Stephen Q., and McHenry, Lindsay J.“Palaeoredox geochemistry and bioturbation levels of the exceptionally preserved early Cambrian Indian Springs biota” Lethaia49. (2016): 604–616.

Fedorchuk, Nicholas D., Dornbos, Stephen Q., Corsetti, Frank A., Isbell, John L., Petryshyn, Victoria A., Bowles, Julie, and Wilmeth, Dylan T.“Early non-marine life: Evaluating the biogenicity of Mesoproterozoic fluvial-lacustrine stromatolites” Precambrian Research275. (2016): 105-118.

Kloss, Tristan J., Dornbos, Stephen Q., Chen, Junyuan, McHenry, Lindsay J., and Marenco, Pedro J.“High-resolution geochemical evidence for oxic bottom waters in three Cambrian Burgess Shale-type deposits” Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology440. (2015): 90-95.

Wilmeth, Dylan T., Corsetti, Frank A., Bisenic, Nemanja, Dornbos, Stephen Q., Oji, Tatsuo, and Gonchigdorj, Sersmaa. “Punctuated growth of microbial cones within early Cambrian oncoids, Bayan Gol Formation, western Mongolia” PALAIOS30.12 (2015): 836–845.

Kloss, Tristan J., Dornbos, Stephen Q., and Chen, Junyuan. “Substrate adaptations of sessile benthic metazoans during the Cambrian radiation” Paleobiology41.2 (2015): 342–352.

Wilmeth, Dylan T., Dornbos, Stephen Q., Isbell, John L., and Czaja, Andrew D.“Putative domal microbial structures in fluvial siliciclastic facies of the Mesoproterozoic (1.09 Ga) Copper Harbor Conglomerate, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA” Geobiology12.1 (2014): 99-108.

Dornbos, Stephen Q., Clapham, Matthew E., Fraiser, Margaret L., and Laflamme, Marc. “Lessons from the fossil record: The Ediacaran radiation, the Cambrian radiation, and the End-Permian mass extinction” Marine Biodiversity of Ecosystem Functioning: Frameworks, Methodologies, and IntegrationEd. Solan, M., Aspden, R. J., and Paterson, D. M.Oxford: Oxford University Press. (2012): 52-72.

. Quantifying the Early Evolution of Life: Numerical Approaches to the Study of Fossils and Ancient EcosystemsEd. Laflamme, Marc, Schiffbauer, James , and Dornbos, Stephen Q.Berlin: Springer. 2011: 462 pp.

Plotnick, Roy E., Dornbos, Stephen Q., and Chen, Junyuan. “Information landscapes and sensory ecology of the Cambrian Radiation” Paleobiology36.2 (2010): 303-317.

Domke, Kirk L., and Dornbos, Stephen Q.“Paleoecology of the middle Cambrian edrioasteroid echinoderm Totiglobus: Implications for unusual Cambrian morphologies” PALAIOS25.3 (2010): 209-214.

Dornbos, Stephen Q.“Phosphatization through the Phanerozoic” Taphonomy, Second Edition: Process and Bias Through TimeEd. Allison, P. A., and Bottjer, D. J.Berlin: Springer. (2010): 435-456.

Kloss, Tristan J., Dornbos, Stephen Q., and Chen, Junyuan. “Paleoecology and taphonomy of the Early Cambrian Maotianshan Shale biota chancelloriid Allonnia junyuani: Adaptation to nonactualistic Cambrian substrates” Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology277.3-4 (2009): 149-157.

Dornbos, Stephen Q., and Chen, Junyuan. “Community palaeoecology of the early Cambrian Maotianshan Shale biota: Ecological dominance of priapulid worms” Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology258.3 (2008): 200-212.

Dornbos, Stephen Q.“Tiering history of early epifaunal suspension-feeding echinoderms” Echinoderm PaleobiologyEd. Ausich, WIlliam, and Webster, Gary. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. (2008): 132-143.

Dornbos, Stephen Q., Noffke, Nora, and Hagadorn, James . “Mat-decay features” Atlas of Microbial Mat Features Preserved Within the Siliciclastic Rock Record. Elsevier, Amsterdam, New YorkEd. Schieber, Juergen. Amsterdam: Elsevier. (2007): 106-110.