Richard Bambach

• Ph. D. Yale University 1969
• M. S. Yale University 1964
• B. A. Johns Hopkins University 1957

My main focus is on paleoecology, especially paleocommunity ecology, change in ecosystem structure over time, and patterns of change in marine diversity over time. More specific topics include:

   1) Utilization of ecospace and change in ecosystems over time

   2) The influence of ecospace utilization on diversity

   3) Distinguishing biological signals from taphonomic noise in fossil assemblages

   4) The varied nature of mass extinction events

   5) The implications of periodicity signals detected in diversity over time

   6) The interaction between origination and extinction in controlling diversity

   7) The asymmetry of trends in origination and extinction over time within taxa

Journal Article

• Melott, Adrian L. and Bambach, Richard K. 2017. "Comments On: Periodicity in the Extinction Rate and Possible Astronomical Causes - Comment on Mass Extinctions Over the Last 500 Myr: an Astronomical Cause? (Erlykin Et Al.)." Palaeontology, 60, (6) 911–920. https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12322.
• Bush, Andrew M., Hunt, Gene, and Bambach, Richard K. 2016. "Sex and the shifting biodiversity dynamics of marine animals in deep time." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113, (49) 14073–14078. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1610726113.
• Bush, Andrew M. and Bambach, Richard K. 2015. "Sustained Mesozoic–Cenozoic diversification of marine Metazoa: A consistent signal from the fossil record." Geology, 43, (11) 979–982. https://doi.org/10.1130/G37162.1.
• Melott, Adrian L. and Bambach, Richard K. 2014. "Analysis of periodicity of extinction using the 2012 geological timescale." Paleobiology, 40, (2) 177–196. https://doi.org/10.1666/13047.
• Melott, Adrian L. and Bambach, Richard K. 2013. "Do Periodicities in Extinction-with Possible Astronomical Connections-Survive a Revision of the Geological Timescale?" The Astrophysical Journal, 773, (1). https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/6.
• Melott, Adrian L., Bambach, Richard K., Petersen, Kenni D., and McArthur, John M. 2012. "An similar to 60-Million-Year Periodicity Is Common to Marine Sr-87/Sr-86, Fossil Biodiversity, and Large-Scale Sedimentation: What Does the Periodicity Reflect?" Journal of Geology, 120, (2) 217–226. https://doi.org/10.1086/663877.
• Bush, Andrew M. and Bambach, Richard K. 2011. "Paleoecologic Megatrends in Marine Metazoa." Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 39 241–269. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-040809-152556.
• Melott, Adrian L. and Bambach, Richard K. 2011. "A ubiquitous ~62-Myr periodic fluctuation superimposed on general trends in fossil biodiversity. I. Documentation." Paleobiology, 37, (1) 92–112. https://doi.org/10.1666/09054.1.
• Melott, Adrian L. and Bambach, Richard K. 2011. "A ubiquitous ~62-Myr periodic fluctuation superimposed on general trends in fossil biodiversity. II. Evolutionary dynamics associated with periodic fluctuation in marine diversity." Paleobiology, 37, (3) 383–408. https://doi.org/10.1666/09055.1.
• Melott, Adrian L. and Bambach, Richard K. 2010. "Nemesis reconsidered." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 407, (1) L99–L102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3933.2010.00913.x.
• Bennington, J. Bret, DiMichele, William A., Badgley, Catherine, Bambach, Richard K., Barrett, Paul M., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bobe, Rene, Burnham, Robyn J., Daeschler, Edward B., Van Dam, Jan, Eronen, Jussi T., Erwin, Douglas H., Finnegan, Seth, Holland, Steven M., Hunt, Gene, Jablonski, David, Jackson, Stephen T., Jacobs, Bonnie E., Kidwell, Susan M., Koch, Paul L., Kowalewski, Michal J., Labandeira, Conrad C., Looy, Cindy V., Lyons, Sara K., Novack-Gottshall, Philip M. et al. 2009. "Critical Issues of Scale in Paleoecology." Palaios, 24, (1-2) 1–4. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2009.S01.
• Bambach, Richard K., Bush, A. M., and Erwin, Douglas H. 2007. "Autecology and the realized ecospace of marine metazoa." Palaeontology, 50 1–22.
• Bambach, Richard K., Bush, Andrew M., and Erwin, Douglas H. 2007. "Autecology and the filling of ecospace: Key metazoan radiations." Palaeontology, 50 1–22.
• Bush, A. M., Kowalewski, M., Hoffmeister, A. P., Bambach, Richard K., and Daley, G. M. 2007. "Potential paleoecologic biases from size-filtering of fossils: Strategies for sieving." Palaios, 22, (6) 612–622. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2006.p06-002r.
• Bush, Andrew M., Bambach, Richard K., and Daley, Gwen M. 2007. "Changes in theoretical ecospace utilization in marine fossil assemblages between the mid-Paleozoic and late Cenozoic." Paleobiology, 33, (1) 76–97. https://doi.org/10.1666/06013.1.
• Bambach, Richard K. 2006. "Phanerozoic biodiversity mass extinctions." Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 34 127–155. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.33.092203.122654.

Book Chapter

• Bush, Andrew M., Bambach, Richard K., and Erwin, Douglas H. 2011. "Ecospace Utilization During the Ediacaran Radiation and the Cambrian Eco-explosion." In Quantifying the Evolution of Early Life : Numerical Approaches to the Evaluation of Fossils and Ancient Ecosystems. Laflamme, Marc, Schiffbauer, James D., and Dornbos, Stephen Q., editors. 111–133. Springer Netherlands. 36 in Topics in Geobiology.
• Bambach, Richard K. 2009. "From empirical paleoecology to evolutionary paleobiology: a personal journey." In The paleobiological revolution: essays on the growth of modern paleontology. Sepkoski, David and Ruse, Michael, editors. 398–415. Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press.
• Kowalewski, Michal, Kelley, Patricia H., Bambach, Richard K., Baumiller, Tomasz K., Bengtson, Stefan, Brett, Carleton E., Chin, Karen, Culver, Stephen J., Dietl, Gregory P., Farlow, James O., Gahn, Forest J., Haynes, Gary, Holtz,Thomas R., Jr., Jenkins, Ian, Labandeira, Conrad C., Lipps, JereH, Van Valkenburgh, Blaire, Vermeij, Geerat J., and Walker, Sally E. 2002. "The fossil record of predation: methods, patterns, and processes." In The Fossil Record of Predation. Kowalewski, Michal and Kelley, Patricia H., editors. 395–398. Cambridge University Press. In Paleontological Society Special Papers, 8.