James T Sprinkle
Dr. Sprinkle is an invertebrate paleontologist who studies Paleozoic marine communities and ecosystems and specializes in early (and now mostly extinct) echinoderms. Jim has worked on late Paleozoic echinoderm communities in Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Since 1989, he has been working on Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician echinoderm communities from the Rocky Mountains, Texas, and Oklahoma. Most of this recent work has been done with colleagues Tom Guensburg (Rock Valley College, Rockford, IL) and former Ph.D. student Colin Sumrall (now University of Tennessee, Knoxville), funded by two NSF grants. These time intervals overlap the critical transition between the Cambrian Evolutionary Fauna and the initial radiation of the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna, which then dominated marine ecosystems for the next 220 million years. However, before their work, they represented a "gap" in the echinoderm fossil record, with very few echinoderms from anywhere in the world. They were very successful collecting new echinoderms in the Early Ordovician on the first NSF grant (1989-1991), discovering several new faunas that are the largest ever found in North America. They were somewhat less successful collecting echinoderms from the Late Cambrian on the second NSF grant (1993-1994), an interval where echinoderms were apparently much less common and harder to find in the field. The Late Cambrian project is now nearly finished (7 papers published, 1 more in press), but the Early Ordovician work (now 19 papers published, 3 more in press, and at least 10 more in preparation) has expanded so much that it will take many more years to complete.
Areas of Expertise
Invertebrate paleontology; evolutionary biology; fossil and living echinoderms; echinoderm systematics; Paleozoic marine communities and ecosystems; paleoecology; crinoids; blastoids; rhombiferans; eocrinoids; parablastoids; blastozoans; edrioasteroids; edrioblastoids; starfish; stylophorans; ctenocystoids; helicoplacoids; Cambrian evolutionary fauna; Paleozoic evolutionary fauna; Ordovician radiation; Cambrian explosion; environment & earth science
2004 Honorary Award ("for distinguished achievement in the field of Earth Sciences"), (Came with 2 $4,000 scholarships for UT Geol. graduate students) - American Federation Scholarship Foundation, South-Central Federation of Mineralogical Societies (2004)
Honorable mention for 1995 Best Paper Award in Palaios - SEPM (1996)
Charles Schuchert Award "for excellence in paleontology by a person under 40 years of age" - Paleontological Society (1982)
NRC-USGS Postdoctoral Associateship - U.S. Geol. Survey, Denver, Colorado (1970 - 1971)
Fellowship - Harvard University (1969 - 1970)
Member, Society of Sigma Xi - Harvard University (1967 - 1970)
Graduate Fellowship - National Science Foundation (1965 - 1969)
College Scholarship - General Motors (1961 - 1965)
Reviewer, Yale Peabody Museum Special Publications (2005)
Reviewer, Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Palaeoecology (2005)
Reviewer, Czech Science Foundation (2004)
Reviewer, The Mountain Geologist (2004)
Associate Editor, Journal of Paleontology (2004)
Reviewer, B.Y.U. Geol. Studies (2004)
Reviewer, Palaios (2003 - 2004)
Reviewer, ISOS Proceedings (Argentina) (2003)
Reviewer, Geological Journal (England) (2003)
Reviewer, Marine Biology (England) (2003)
Reviewer, 11th Internet. Echinoderm Conf. Proceedings (Germany) (2003)
Reviewer, Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae (Switzerland) (2003)
Co-chairman, "Paleontology - Biodiversification", 9th International Symposium on the Ordovician System, San Juan, Argentina (2003)
Reviewer, Proceedings of the European Conference on Echinoderms (Germany) (2002)
Reviewer, Coloquios de Paleontologia (Spain), (2002)
Reviewer, W. H. Freeman and Co. (2002)
Reviewer, Paleontology (2002)
Reviewer, Petroleum Research Fund, Amer. Chem. Soc. (2002 - 2003)
Reviewer, Palaios (2001)
Reviewer, Science in China Press (2001)
Faculty Representative, Attending and speaking at evening lecture series or at a luncheon and discussion session for several hundred highly ranked Texas high school seniors interested in science and perhaps attending the University of Texas, Geological Sciences (2001 - 2003)
Reviewer, Lethaia (2001)
Reviewer, National Geographic Society Research Proposals (2000)
Reviewer, 10th Internet. Echinoderm Conf. Proceedings (New Zealand) (2000)
Reviewer, Royal Society of Edinburgh (Scotland) (2000)
Reviewer, Paleobiology (2000)
Co-chairman , "Biodiversification - Regional Topics", 8th International Symposium on the Ordovician System, Prague, Czech Republic (1999)
Reviewer, Palaios (1998)
Reviewer, Geobios (France) (1998)
Reviewer, American Zoologist (1998)
Reviewer, PalSIRP Grant Proposals, Paleontological Society (1998 - 2001)
Reviewer, Alcheringa (Australia) & Queensland Museum Memoirs (1998)
Participant, Paleontological Society Short Course on Echinoderms, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah (1997)
Reviewer, McGraw-Hill (1997)
Reviewer, Systematic Biology (1996)
Organizer and Chairman , Symposium on "Invertebrate Paleontology of the South-Central Region.", Geological Society of America South-Central Meeting, Austin, Texas (1996)
Reviewer, Geobios (France) (1995)
Member, Schuchert Award Committee, Paleontological Society (1995 - 1998)
Reviewer, Kirtlandia (1994)
Reviewer, Polish Academy of Science (1994)
Reviewer, Paleontological Research Institution (1993)
Reviewer, Palaios (1992)
Reviewer, National Academy of Sciences (1992)
Reviewer, Kansas Geological Survey (1992)
Reviewer, MacMillan Publishing . Co. (1991)
Member, Board of Editorial Advisors, Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, University of Kansas (1991)
Reviewer, Prentice-Hall (1990)
Member, Financial Management and Investment Committee, Paleontological Society (1990 - 1993)
Reviewer, Palaios (1989)
Reviewer, Historical Biology (1989)
Reviewer, National Science Foundation grant proposals (1989 - 2004)
Reviewer, Science (1989)
Member, Financial Management and Investment Committee, Paleontological Society (1987 - 1989)
Reviewer, National Science Foundation grant proposals (1987)
Reviewer, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences (1987)
Reviewer, Petroleum Research Fund, Amer. Chem. Soc. (1987)
Reviewer, Southern Illinois University (1987)
Reviewer, University of Kansas Paleontological Institute (1987)
Member, Strimple Award Committee, Paleontological Society (1986 - 1989)
Reviewer, McGraw-Hill (1986)
Reviewer, Paleontological Research Institution (1986)
Reviewer, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences (1986)
Reviewer, Geological Magazine (England) (1986)
Reviewer, Burke Museum Public, University of Washington (1986)
Reviewer, Merrill Publishing . Co. (1986)
Reviewer, Alcheringa (Australia) & Queensland Museum Memoirs (1985)
Reviewer, Johns Hopkins Univ. Press (1985)
Co-Editor , GCAGS-SEPM 1985 Transactions volume, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies (1984 - 1985)
Member, Membership Committee, Paleontological Society (1984 - 1992)
Member, Schuchert Award Committee, Paleontological Society (1984 - 1986)
Chairman, Treatise Advisory Committee, Geological Society of America (1984 - 1986)
Reviewer, Royal Ontario Museum (1984 - 1986)
Reviewer, Petroleum Research Fund, Amer. Chem. Soc. (1984)
Faculty Representative, Attending and speaking at evening lecture series or at a luncheon and discussion session for several hundred highly ranked Texas high school seniors interested in science and perhaps attending the University of Texas, Geological Sciences (1983)
Reviewer, Paleobiology (1983)
Reviewer, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences (1983)
Member, Treatise Advisory Committee, Geological Society of America (1982 - 1984)
Reviewer, National Science Foundation grant proposals (1982 - 1985)
Reviewer, Lethaia (1982)
Reviewer, Paleontological Research Institution (1982)
Reviewer, Alcheringa (Australia) & Queensland Museum Memoirs (1982)
Member, Councilor under 40, Paleontological Society (1981 - 1983)
Reviewer, Wm. C. Brown Co. (1981)
Reviewer, GFF (Sweden) (1981)
Participant, Paleontological Society Short Course on Echinoderms, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia (1980)
Organizer and Chairman , Symposium on "Echinoderm Paleobiology," , 2nd North American Paleontological Convention, Lawrence, Kansas (1977)
Reviewer, National Science Foundation grant proposals (1977 - 1980)
Chairman, Field Trip Committee, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies (1976 - 1977)
Reviewer, McGraw-Hill (1976)
Reviewer, Washington Academy of Sciences (1976)
Chairman, Earth Science Session, Texas Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Huntsville, Texas (1975)
Reviewer, Paleobiology (1975)
Reviewer, B.Y.U. Geol. Studies (1975 - 1976)
Vice-President , Section III (Earth Sciences), Texas Academy of Science (1974 - 1975)
Co-Chairman , Paleobiology II Session, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Dallas Texas (1973)
Reviewer, Journal of Paleontology (1970 - 2004)
Auditor, Paleontological Society (1968 - 1971)
Member, Local amateur fossil collecting groups, Paleontological Society
Member, Local amateur fossil collecting groups, Central Texas Paleontological Society
Given Talks, Fossil collecting and on fossil echinoderms , Dallas Paleontological Society
Given Talks, Fossil collecting and on fossil echinoderms , Houston Gem and Mineral Society
Given Talks, Fossil collecting and on fossil echinoderms , Austin Gem and Mineral Show
Given Talks, Fossil collecting and on fossil echinoderms , Williamson County Gem and Mineral Show
Judge, Austin Area Science and Mathematics Fair
to be entered, Served on Jury, County Court of Law
to be entered, Served on Jury, Justice of the Peace Court
to be entered, Served on Jury, Municipal Court here in Austin
Member, Paleontological Society
Member, Paleontological Association
Member, International Paleontological Union
Member, Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM)
Fellow, Geological Society of America
Member, American Association for the Advance of Science
Member, Society of the Study of Evolution
Member, Society of Systematic Biologists
Member, American Society of Naturalists
Member, Willi Hennig Society
Member, Paleontological Research Institution
Member, Association of Systematic Collections
"Speciation models in the fossil record." , Austin Paleontological Society Meeting, (2005)
"Searching for the earliest crinoids." , Austin Paleontological Society Meeting, (2004)
"Using the dual reference homology system and other homologous structures to study morphologically divergent and problematic crinoids" (with T. E. Guensburg)., Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA (2003)
"Major expansion of echinoderms in the early Late Ordovician (Mohawkian, middle Caradoc) and its possible causes" (with T. E. Guensburg)., Ninth International Symposium on the Ordovician System, San Juan, Argentina (2003)
"Cambrian echinoderms from Queensland, Australia." , Austin Paleontological Society Meeting, (2003)
"The great Ordovician biodiversification event based on echinoderm species" (with T. E. Guensburg), First International Paleontological Congress, Sydney, Australia (2002)
"The great Ordovician biodiversification of echinoderms" (with T. E. Guensburg). , IGCP 410: The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event Conference, Riverside, CA (2001)
"Field trip to Baltic Russia in the summer of 1997." , Austin Paleontological Society Meeting, (2001)
"The great Ordovician radiation of echinoderms in NW Laurentia" (with T. E. Guensburg)., Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Reno, NV (2000)
"Recent work on the earliest crinoids." , Austin Paleontological Society Meeting, (2000)
"Growing a stalked echinoderm within the Extraxial-Axial Theory" (with T. E. Guensburg)., 10th International Echinoderm Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand (2000)
"The Cambro-Ordovician diversification of echinoderms.", Dallas Paleontological Society Meeting, Dallas, Texas (2000)
"Correlation anomaly shown by Ordovician shelly and trace fossils in Baltic Russia: Redating the Ordovician Radiation" (with Thomas E. Guensburg and Sergei V. Rozhnov)., 8th International Symposium on the Ordovician System, Prague, Czech Republic (1999)
"Echinoderms from the Austin Group at Little Walnut Creek." , Central Texas Paleontological Society Meeting, (1998)
"The earliest camerate crinoids: new collections from the Early Ordovician of western Utah" (with T. E. Guensburg), Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada (1998)
"Middle Cambrian echinoderms from the Burgess Shale, British Columbia" (with Desmond Collins). , Geological Society of America Rocky Mountain Sectional Meeting, Flagstaff, AZ (1998)
"How the crinoid got its cup plating: arm brachials down plus stem (penta) meres up" (with T. E. Guensburg), Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT (1997)
"Early radiation of echinoderms" (with T. E. Guensburg). , Paleontological Society Short Course at Geol. Soc. of America Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT (1997)
"Distribution and paleoecology of cyathocystid edrioasteroids" (with Thomas E.Guensburg, and Sergei V. Rozhnov), Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (1996)
"Phylogenetic analysis of Echinodermata based on primitive fossil taxa" (with Colin D. Sumrall), 9th International Echinoderm Conference, San Francisco, CA (1996)
"Revising the rhombiferan radiation: a new look at morphology, diversity, phylogeny, and paleo-ecology" (with Thomas E. Guensburg and Colin D. Sumrall), North American Paleontological Convention 96, Washington, D.C (1996)
"Early Ordovician echinoderms from southern Oklahoma and west Texas" (with Mark G. McKinzie), Geological Society of America South-Central Section Meeting, Austin, Texas (1996)
"Echmatocrinus revisited: still an echinoderm and probably the earliest crinoid" (with Desmond Collins), Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (1995)
"Echinoderm rapid diversification and faunas across the Cambro-Ordovician boundary" (with Thomas E. Guensburg). , Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington (1994)
"Edrioasteroid phylogeny" (with Thomas E. Guensburg). , Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Boston, MA (1993)
"Between evolutionary faunas: comparison of Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician echinoderms and their paleoenvironments" (with Thomas E. Guensburg). , Geological Society of America Cordilleran and Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Reno, NV (1993)
"Tiering history of suspension feeders on hard substrates" (with Thomas E. Guensburg)., Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio (1992)
"Tiering history of suspension feeders on soft and hard substrates." , Soft-Rock Seminar, University of Texas, Austin, Texas (1992)
"How good is the fossil record?" , Dean's Scholars Program, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas (1992)
"Origin of echinoderms in the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna." , Paleobiology Seminar, University of Texas, Austin, Texas (1991)
"Origin of echinoderms in the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna: new data from the Early Ordovician of Utah and Nevada" (with Thomas E. Guensburg). , Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (1991)
"Early Ordovician crinoid-dominated echinoderm fauna from the Fillmore Formation of western Utah" (with Thomas E. Guensburg). , Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas (1990)
"New echinoderm fauna from the Ninemile Shale (Lower Ordovician) of central and southern Nevada." , Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas (1990)
"Echinoderm faunas from the Bromide Formation of Oklahoma." , Houston Gem and Mineral Society, Houston, Texas (1990)
"How good is the fossil record?" , Dean's Scholars Program, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas (1989)
"Origin of the echinoderm Class Rhombifera based on new Early Ordovician discoveries from the Rocky Mountains.", Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO (1989)
"Tax information for Macintosh owners.", University of Texas Macintosh Users Group (UMUG), Austin, Texas (1986)
"Tax implications of buying a Mac in 1984.", University of Texas Macintosh Users Group (UMUG), Austin, Texas (1985)
"Growth in blastoids." , Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Reno, NV (1984)
Research in paleontology." Lecture series for Austin Independent School District Science Teachers, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas (1983)
"Early Mississippian blastoids from western Montana" (with R. C. Gutschick). , Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN (1983)
"Pseudomonocyclic and pseudodicyclic crinoids: new problems in crinoid classification.", Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Cincinnati, OH (1981)
"Patterns and problems in echinoderm evolution.", Plenary Lecture for International Echinoderms Conference, Tampa, FL (1981)
"Origin of blastoids: new look at an old problem.", Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA (1980)
"An overview of the fossil record," and "Early diversification.", Paleontological Society Short Course on Echinoderms, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA (1980)
"Echinoderm fauna and paleoecology of the Bromide Formation (Middle Ordovician) of Oklahoma." , North American Paleontological Convention II, Lawrence, KS (1977)
"Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of Cambrian echinoderms from the Rocky Mountains." , Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT (1975)
"Should fossil echinoderms be allowed to have 20 classes?" , University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (1973)
"Evolution of hybocrinid crinoids." , Echinoderms Conference, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C (1972)
"Morphology and evolution of primitive echinoderms." , University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas (1970)
"Stratigraphic value of Early Paleozoic echinoderms." , Colorado-Wyoming Association of Paleontologists, Denver, CO (1970)
"Morphology and evolution of blastozoan echinoderms," , Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (1970)
"Evolution of early attached echinoderms," , University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (1970)