academic faculty
Fall Term
   Geol 107
   Geol 337
Current
   A. Ichaso
   M. Laflamme
Research Interests
Recent Publications


Dr. Guy Narbonne
Office: Bruce Wing 551
Phone: (613) 533-6168,
Fax (613) 533-6592,
E-mail: narbonne@geol.queensu.ca

Department of Geological Sciences
    & Geological Engineering,

Miller Hall, Queen's University,
Kingston, Ontario,
K7L 3N6




1) THE ORIGIN AND EARLY EVOLUTION OF ANIMALS

image of charnia wardi

Charnia wardi is the oldest complex animal fossil yet discovered. See the paper "Life after Snowball: The oldest complex Ediacaran fossils" in the reference list below.


Graduate Theses and Post-doctoral Fellowships:

Marc Laflamme, Ph.D. thesis in progress, Paleobiology of Ediacaran fronds at Mistaken Point, Newfoundland.

Aitor Ichado, 2005, M.Sc. Neoproterozoic sedimentology and basin analysis of Conception Bay North, Newfoundland (co-supervised by R.W. Dalrymple). Currently in the Ph.D. program at Queen's University.

Dr. Leanne Pyle, 2002-2004, Postdoctoral Fellow, Ediacaran facies and fossils, Wernecke Mountains, Yukon Territory. (co-supervised by N.P. James). Currently a project geologist with the Geological Survey of Canada in Vancouver, B.C.

Matthew Clapham, 2002, M.Sc., Community ecology of the Ediacaran biota at Mistaken Point, Newfoundland. Currently in the Ph.D. program at University of Southern California.

Donald Wood, 2002, M.Sc., Neoproterozoic sedimentology and paleontology, eastern Newfoundland (co-supervised by R.W. Dalrymple). Currently a geologist at Acclaim Energy Trust, Calgary.

Robert MacNaughton, 1997, Ph.D., Sedimentology and trace fossils across the Precambrian- Cambrian boundary, NW Canada (co-supervised by R.W. Dalrymple). Currently Research Scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary.

Dr. Jim Gehling, 1998-2000, William E. White Visiting Fellow. Paleobiology of the Mistaken Point assemblage. Currently Research Scientist at the South Australia Museum, Adelaide and Adjunct Professor at Queen's University, Kingston.

Recent Publications:

Pyle, L.J., Narbonne, G.M., Nowlan, G.S., Xiao, S, and James, N.P., 2006, Early Cambrian metazoan eggs, embryos, and phosphatic microfossils from northwestern Canada. Journal of Paleontology 80: 811-825.

Knoll, A.H., Walter, M.R., Narbonne, G.M., and Christie-Blick, N., 2006, The Ediacaran Period: A new addition to the geologic time scale. Lethaia 39:13-30. (PDF)

Narbonne, G.M. 2005, The Ediacara biota: Neoproterozoic origin of animals and their ecosystems. Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Sciences 33: 13.1-13.22. (PDF)

Narbonne, G.M. 2004, Modular construction of complex early Ediacaran life forms. Science 305: 1141-1144. (PDF)
 Selected as Cover photograph: --CLICK HERE--
 Selected as one of the top 100 science
     discoveries (#46) for 2004 by Discover Magazine.

Knoll, A.H., Walter, M.R., Narbonne, G.M., and Christie-Blick, N. 2004, A new period for the geologic time scale. Science 305: 621-622. (PDF)
 Selected as one of the top 100 science
     discoveries (#42) for 2004 by Discover Magazine.

Laflamme, M., Narbonne, G.M. and Anderson, M.M., 2004, Morphometrics of the Ediacaran frond Charniodiscus from the Mistaken Point Formation, Newfoundland. Journal of Paleontology 78: 827-837. (PDF)

Clapham, M.E., Narbonne,G.M., Gehling, J.G., Greentree, C, and Anderson, M.M. 2004, Thectardis avalonensis: A new Ediacaran fossil from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland. Journal of Paleontology, 78: 1031-1036. (PDF)

Pyle, L.J., Narbonne, G.M., James, N.P., Dalrymple, R.W., and Kaufman, A.J., 2004, Integrated Ediacaran chronostratigraphy, Wernecke Mountains, northwestern Canada. Precambrian Research 132: 1-27. (PDF)

Narbonne, G.M. and Gehling, J.G., 2003, Life after Snowball: the oldest complex Ediacaran fossils. Geology 31: 27-30. (PDF)
For images of these fossils --CLICK HERE--

Clapham, M.E., Narbonne,G.M., and Gehling, J.G., 2003, Paleoecology of the oldest- known animal communities: Ediacaran assemblages at Mistaken Point, Newfoundland. Paleobiology 29: 527-544. (PDF)

Wood, D. A., Dalrymple, R.W., Narbonne, G.M., Gehling, J.G., and Clapham. M.E., 2003, Environmental analysis of the late Neoproterozoic Mistaken Point and Trepassey Formations, southeastern Newfoundland: paleobiological and tectonic implication. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 40: 1375-1391. (PDF)

Clapham, M.E. and Narbonne, G.M., 2002, Ediacaran epifaunal tiering, Geology 30: 527-544. (PDF)

MacNaughton, R.B., Narbonne, G.M., and Dalrymple, R.W., 2000, Neoproterozoic slope deposits, Mackenzie Mountains, NW Canada: Implications for passive-margin development and Ediacaran faunal ecology. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 37: 997-1020.

Gehling, J.G., Narbonne, G.M. and Anderson, M.A., 2000, The first named Ediacaran body fossil, Aspidella terranovica,. Palaeontology , 43: 427-456.


Please contact me at narbonne@geol.queensu.ca to discuss potential thesis topics.

2) PROTEROZOIC CARBONATES AND REEFS

image of precambrian reef

Image: Precambrian pinnacle reef 300 meters (1000 feet) high surrounded by bouldery talus. From the Little Dal Group (ca. 850 million years old) in the Mackenzie Mtns., Northwest Territories, Canada.

Graduate Theses and Post-doctoral Fellowships:

Kelly Batten, M.Sc., 2002, Early Neoproterozoic carbonates and reefs, NW Canada (co-supervised by N.P. James). Currently in the Ph.D. program at Carleton University, Ottawa.

Edith Day, M.Sc., 2002, Neoproterozoic interglacial carbonates, NW Canada (co- supervised by N.P. James). Currently Exploration Geologist, Talisman Resources, Calgary.

Dr. Anne-Catharine Pierson-Wickham, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Geochemistry of Neoproterozoic cap and interglacial carbonates, NW Canada (co-supervised by N.P. James and T.K. Kyser), Currently Assistant Professor at the University of Rennes, France.

Dr. Leanne Pyle, 2002-2004 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Late Neoproterozoic carbonates and Ediacaran fossils, Yukon (co-supervised by N.P. James). Currently a project geologist with the Geological Survey of Canada in Vancouver, B.C.

Anne Sherman, Ph.D. 2000, Mesoproterozoic carbonates and reefs, northern Baffin Island (co- supervised by N.P. James). Currently Carbonate Specialist, Shell Canada, Calgary.

Elizabeth Turner, Ph.D. 1999, Giant Neoproterozoic calcimicrobial reefs, NW Canada (co- supervised by N.P. James). Currently an Assistant Professor at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.

Recent Publications:

James, N.P., Narbonne, G.M., Kyser, T.K., and Dalrymple, R.W., 2005, Glendonites in Neoproterozoic low latitude, interglacial sedimentary rocks, NW Canada: Insights into the Cryogenian ocean and Precambrian cold-water carbonates. Geology 33: 9-12. (PDF)

Pyle, L.J., Narbonne, G.M., James, N.P., Dalrymple, R.W., and Kaufman, A.J., 2004, Integrated Ediacaran chronostratigraphy, Wernecke Mountains, Northwestern Canada. Precambrian Research 132: 1-27. (PDF)

Day, E.S., James, N.P., Narbonne, G.M., and Dalrymple, R.W., 2004, A sedimentary prelude to Marinoan glaciation: the Cryogenian (Middle Neoproterozoic) Keele Formation, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwestern Canada. Precambrian Research 133: 223-247. (PDF)

Batten, K., Narbonne, G.M., and James, N.P., 2004, Early Neoproterozoic (Tonian) ramp carbonates and microbial buildups, Little Dal Group, Northwest Territories, Canada. Precambrian Research 133: 249-269 (PDF) (also published in Virtual Journal of Geobiology, v. 3, issue 9).

Sherman, A. G. James, N.P., and Narbonne, G.M, 2002, Tectonic inversion and carbonate sedimentation: Mesoproterozoic Borden Basin, northern Baffin Island. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 38: 519-538. (PDF)

James, N.P., Narbonne, G.M. and Kyser, T.K., 2001 Late Neoproterozoic cap carbonates, Mackenzie Mountains, NW Canada: precipitation and global glacial meltdown. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 38: 1229-1262. (PDF)

Sherman, A.G., Narbonne, G.M., and James, N.P., 2001, Anatomy of a cyclically packaged Mesoproterozoic carbonate ramp in northern Canada. Sedimentary Geology, 139: 171- 203. (PDF)

Turner, E.C., James, N.P. and Narbonne, G.M., 2000, Taphonomic controls on microstructure in Early Neoproterozoic reefal stromatolites and thrombolites. Palaios, 15: 87-111. "Honourable Mention" for Best Paper Award.

Narbonne, G.M. , James, N.P., Rainbird, R.H. and Morin, J., 2000, Early Neoproterozoic (Tonian) patch reef complexes, Victoria Island, Arctic Canada., in Grotzinger, J.P. and James, N.P., eds., Carbonate Sedimentation and Diagenesis in the Evolving Precambrian World, SEPM Spec. Publ. 67, 163-178.

Turner, E.C, Narbonne, G.M. and James, N.P., 2000, Framework composition of Early Neoproterozoic calcimicrobial reefs and associated microbiolites, Mackenzie Mountains, N.W.T, in Grotzinger, J.P. and James, N.P., eds., Carbonate Sedimentation and Diagenesis in the Evolving Precambrian World, SEPM Spec. Publ. 67: 221-254.
 "Honourable Mention" for Best Paper Award"

Sherman, A.G., James, N.P. and Narbonne, G.M., 2000, Sedimentology of a Late Mesoproterozoic muddy carbonate ramp, northern Baffin Island, Arctic Canada , in Grotzinger, J.P. and James, N.P., eds., Carbonate Sedimentation and Diagenesis in the Evolving Precambrian World, SEPM Spec. Publ. 67: 275-294.


Please contact me at narbonne@geol. queensu.ca to discuss potential thesis topics.

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Last Revision: 9 February, 2004