"PhD Studentship : The nature, importance and protection of British vertebrate fossil track sites"

University of Birmingham - School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Placed On: 18th November 2025

Closes: 7th January 2026

Reference: CENTA 2026-B10

Fossil tracks and trackways (a type of trace fossil or ichnofossil) provide highly complementary information to the body fossil record. Tracks are more abundant than body fossils as organisms have one skeleton, but may leave many of tracks in their lifetime, often occur in stratigraphic levels where bone is rare, filling key gaps in the fossil record, and are more likely to be found in-situ, providing direct evidence of the organism in that location. They can also provide major insights into organisms’ distribution and palaeobiology, such as speed and nature of locomotion, anatomy, behaviour, life histories and interactions.

The UK has a rich vertebrate fossil track record including amphibians, early reptiles, dinosaurs, birds, mammals and humans, spanning the Devonian (~380 Myrs ago) through to the Holocene. Fossil tracks have been recorded for hundreds of years, and many sites can be viewed in the present day, e.g., dinosaur tracks at Spyway Quarry, Dorset (Fig. 1). However, currently aspects of the paleontological conservation network do not fully reflect advances in ichnofauna scientific research and interpretation, nor does it adequately address the evolving management needs and prescriptions for emerging threats and the increasing significance of known impacts to trackway sites.

Here, the student will conduct a comprehensive review of UK fossil vertebrate track(way) sites to understand their distribution in time and space, and to determine their scientific value in the context of their contribution to understanding of the fossil group, relative national and international importance of the records (in the context of the Geological Conservation Review ref Ellis et al, 1996)), and current conservation measures. Fieldwork will be undertaken at a series of in-situ case-study track sites, to help fill knowledge gaps, and to apply and develop different approaches to recording, monitoring, and conserving tracks. This work will form the evidence base for: [1] considering the merits and practicalities for fossil track site conservation and protection, to ensure that the most important sites are conserved appropriately, e.g., by local or national level protection, and [2] generate a best practice guide for the recording, monitoring and conserving of different types of track sites.

For further information on this project and details of how to apply to it please visit https://centa.ac.uk/studentship/2026-b10-the-nature-importance-and-protection-of-british-vertebrate-fossil-track-sites/

Further information on how to apply for a CENTA studentship can be found on the CENTA website: https://centa.ac.uk/apply/

Funding notes:
This project is offered through the CENTA3 DLA, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Funding covers: annual stipend, tuition fees (at home-fee level), Research Training Support Grant.

Academic requirements: at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or a pass at UK MSc level or equivalent.

International students are eligible for studentships to a maximum of 30% of the cohort. Funding does not cover any additional costs relating to moving or residing in the UK. International applicants must fulfil the University of Birmingham’s international student entry requirements, including English language. Further information: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgt/requirements-pgt/international/index.aspx.

References:
Benton and Spencer (1995). ‘Fossil Reptiles of Great Britain’, Geological Conservation Review Series, No. 10, JNCC, Peterborough.
Edga et al (2023) ‘The condition, use and future of the UK's largest accessible dinosaur tracksite at Spyway Quarry, Dorset’, Proceedings of the Journal of the Geological Society, 1344 (2), 125‐138.
Edgar et al (2023) ‘Stratigraphic and geographic distribution of dinosaur tracks in the UK’, Journal of the Geological Society, 180.