Christopher J Bell

Areas of Expertise

Vertebrate paleontology and evolutionary morphology, North American Pliocene and Pleistocene small mammal biostratigraphy and biochronology, osteology, anatomy, and systematics of squamate reptiles and turtles, Impacts of climate change on vertebrate communities; history of science

Research Locations

G. Moses and Carolyn G. Knebl Distinguished Teaching Award - The University of Texas at Austin (2005)

Faculty Excellence Award - Houston Oil and Minerals Corporation (2004)

Faculty Achievement Award - El Paso Corporate Foundation (2003)

UT Austin Dads' Association Centennial Teaching Fellowship - The University of Texas at Austin (2001)

Teaching Excellence Award - The College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin (2000)

Editor, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (2003 - 2004)

Member, Publications Committee, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2002 - 2005)

Member, Estes Award Committee, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (1999 - 2003)

Member, Student Poster Prize Committee, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (1998 - 2005)

Member, Editorial Board, Asiatic Herpetological Research (1998 - 2004)

Associate Editor, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (1998 - 2002)

Southwestern Region Editor, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology News Bulletin (1998 - 2002)

Program Committee member, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (1996)

Editor, PaleoBios (1994 - 1995)

Assistant Editor, PaleoBios (1993 - 1994)

Postdocs

Ascanio Rincon, 2005
Project title: 'Pleistocene Mammal Fauna from Mene Inciarte Tar Seep, Estado Zulia, Venezuela.' Jackson School of Geosciences and Foundation for Quaternary Paleontology of Venezuela Postdoctoral Research Fellow.

Jason Head, 2002 - 2005
Project title: 'Morphological Phylogeography of Erycine Snakes: Recovering the Historical Relationship Between Fauna and Environment.' NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biological Informatics; NSF 98-162. Other co-sponsors are P. David Polly (Queen Mary College, University of London), and Anna K. Behrensmeyer (National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.).

Graduate Students

William Reyes , Ph.D., expected 2025 (Supervisor)
Current research interests include: 1) The macroevolutionary processes that drive vertebrate evolution; 2) The faunal dynamics (i.e., speciation, extinction, geographic range shifts, eco-morphological diversity) in the Late Triassic; 3) The endocranial morphology and paleoneurology of Triassic pseudosuchians; 4) Assessing intraspecific variation in the fossil record and how it influences our phylogenetic hypotheses of extinct taxa; 5) Refining the temporal constraints...

John A Moretti , Ph.D., expected 2024 (Supervisor)
I study changes in vertebrate community composition over the past 3-5 million years in western North America. With a primary focus on the Quaternary, my research occurs at the nexus between vertebrate paleontology, zooarchaeology, and conservation biology. My work involves developing records of biodiversity and biogeography across time in order to examine patterns and processes of faunal change....

Erin M Keenan Early (Co-supervisor)
My research explores the use of geomolecular and biomolecular methodologies to address paleoenvironmental and paleoecological questions. Specifically I am researching the use of proteomics as applied to faunal material as a means of species identification and I am exploring the applications of brGDGTs recovered from various sources to aid in paleotemperature reconstruction. My work is largely restricted to the Quaternary,...

Simon Scarpetta, Ph.D., 2021 (Supervisor)
Department of Geosciences

Charles Withnell, Ph.D., 2020 (Supervisor)

Joshua Lively, Ph.D., 2019 (Supervisor)

Laura Brenskelle, M.S., 2015 (Committee Member)
University of Texas at Austin

Natasha Vitek, M.S., 2013 (Supervisor)

Travis Wicks, M.S., 2013 (Supervisor)

Christian George, Ph.D., 2012 (Supervisor)

Jennifer Olori, Ph.D., 2011 (Supervisor)

Kerin Claeson, Ph.D., 2010 (Supervisor)

Lyndon Murray, Ph.D., 2008 (Supervisor)

Bhart-Anjan Bhullar, M.S., 2008 (Supervisor)

Christopher Jass, Ph.D., 2007 (Supervisor)

Dennis Ruez, Ph.D., 2007 (Supervisor)

Gaberiel Bever, Ph.D., 2006 (Supervisor)

Patrick Wheatley, M.S., 2004 (Supervisor)

Holly Nance, M.S., 2003 (Supervisor)

Implications of Faunal Provinciality for North American Biochronology, Quaternary Sciences Program, Northern Arizona University, (2005)

Phylogenetic systematics and Quaternary Paleontology, Department of Geoscience, University of Iowa, (2003)

North American Reptiles of the Pleistocene, Central Texas Paleontology Society, (2003)

Alternative approaches to Quaternary Paleontology, Quaternary Sciences Program, Northern Arizona University, (2003)

North American Quaternary Squamata: Re-evaluation of the stability hypothesis; Special Symposium 'Recent Advances in Lepidosaurian Evolution and Systematics', 62nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, (2002)

Constraint, homoplasy, and informativeness in the evolution of the medial aperture of the recessus scalae tympani in lizards; Special Symposium 'Recent Advances in Lepidosaurian Evolution and Systematics', 62nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, (2002)

The changing face of Pleistocene arvicoline rodent biochronology, Department of Geology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, (1998)

A short course on cladistic methodology, , Quaternary Sciences Program, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, (1998)

a short course on squamate reptile systematics, Quaternary Sciences Program, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, (1998)

Climatic fluctuations and the evolution of mammalian communities, American Quaternary Association, 14th Biennial Meeting, (1996)

Year	Semester	Course
2023	Fall	GEO 398T	Supervised Teaching In Geo Sci
2023	Fall	GEO 401	Physical Geology
2023	Spring	GEO 302M	The Age Of Mammals
2022	Fall	GEO 298T	Supervised Teaching In Geo Sci
2022	Fall	GEO 401	Physical Geology
2022	Spring	GEO 389R	Morphol Of Vertebrate Skeleton
2022	Spring	GEO 322V	Morphol Of Vertebrate Skeleton
2021	Fall	GEO 298T	Supervised Teaching In Geo Sci
2021	Fall	GEO 401	Physical Geology
2020	Fall	GEO 298T	Supervised Teaching In Geo Sci
2019	Fall	GEO 298T	Supervised Teaching In Geo Sci
2019	Spring	GEO 391	Creationism In 21st Century
2018	Fall	GEO 298T	Supervised Teaching In Geo Sci
2018	Spring	GEO 394	Rsch In Geological Sciences
2017	Fall	GEO 394	Rsch In Geological Sciences
2017	Fall	GEO 145E	Professional Ethics In Geosci
2017	Spring	GEO 394	Rsch In Geological Sciences
2017	Spring	GEO 391	Topics In Paleontology
2017	Spring	GEO 302M	The Age Of Mammals
2016	Fall	GEO 145E	Professional Ethics In Geosci
2016	Spring	GEO 394	Rsch In Verteb Anat/Paleontol
2016	Spring	GEO 389R	Morphol Of Vertebrate Skeleton
2016	Spring	GEO 322V	Morphol Of Vertebrate Skeleton
2015	Fall	GEO 405	Life Through Time
2015	Fall	GEO 394	Rsch In Geological Sciences
2015	Spring	GEO 394	Rsch In Verteb Anat/Paleontol
2015	Spring	GEO 404C	Plate Tectonics And Earth Hist
2015	Spring	GEO 302M	The Age Of Mammals
2014	Fall	GEO 394	Rsch In Verteb Anat/Paleontol
2014	Fall	GEO 391	Creationism In 21st Century
2014	Fall	GEO 145E	Professional Ethics In Geosci
2014	Spring	GEO 322V	Morphol Of Vertebrate Skeleton
2014	Spring	GEO 394	Rsch In Verteb Anat/Paleontol
2014	Spring	GEO 389R	Morphol Of Vertebrate Skeleton

Undergraduate Positions

Research Triassic vertebrates (Paleontology)
Undergraduates interested in Triassic vertebrates of Texas and the Colorado Plateau!! Get involved with new research including digital segmentation of CT-scanned specimens from Petrified Forest National Park and the University of Texas Vertebrate Paleontology Collections, preparation of vertebrate fossils collected by the WPA in the early 1900s, and photographic documentation of those materials. Opportunities exist for students to develop independent research related to the main questions associated with this project. Projects begin in the Fall, 2022 semester. Interested students should contact Will Reyes (will_reyes@utexas.edu) and Chris Bell (cjbell@jsg.utexas.edu).

Research Phillips Cave fossils (Paleontology)
Dedicated, enthusiastic undergraduate student(s) sought to help work on fossils from Phillips Cave in Crockett County, Texas. Student(s) will help with screen-washing, sorting, identifying, and curating vertebrate fossils from Ice-Age sediments in the cave. Students will learn aspects of the anatomy of the vertebrate skeleton as they contribute to broadening our understanding of vertebrate paleobiogeography on the Edwards Plateau. The project is under way and volunteers can be brought on board immediately. Interested students should contact Stacie Skwarcan (sskwarca@utexas.edu) and Chris Bell (cjbell@jsg.utexas.edu).

Research Inner-Space Cavern fossils (Paleontology)
Dedicated, enthusiastic undergraduate student(s) sought to help work on fossils from Inner Space Cavern in Williamson County, Texas. Student(s) will help with screen-washing, sorting, identifying, and curating vertebrate fossils from Ice-Age sediments in the cave. Students will learn aspects of the anatomy of the vertebrate skeleton as they contribute to studying patterns of vertebrate diversity through time in the context of climate change. Potential opportunities exist for motivated students to pursue independent supervised research related to the main questions associated with this project. Projects begin in the Fall, 2022 semester. Interested students should contact John Moretti (jamoretti@utexas.edu) and Chris Bell (cjbell@jsg.utexas.edu).