Professor Rod Wells

Academic Status

College of Science and Engineering

place Biological Sciences
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia
Two major  areas of interest viz. Vertebrate Palaeontology and Vertebrate Ecology. My paleontological research has entailed expeditions to the Lake Eyre Basin, to the caves of southeastern Australia and Papua New Guinea. This research encompasses exploration, geological mapping, collection, preparation and description of vertebrate fossils leading to reconstruction of ancient environments and faunas. I discovered the Victoria Cave fossil deposits at Naracoorte in 1969 and was instrumental in taking this site to World Heritage status in 1994. My research into the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat led to the establishment of the Brookfield Wombat Reserve, now Brookfield Conservation Park. I continue with supervision of higher degree students involved in wombat related research.
Honours, awards and grants

AM

Annual Wells Lecture in Palaeontology, Flinders University

Peter Crowcroft and Rod Wells AM Research Facility Brookfield Conservation Park

Teaching interests
Guest lectures in Vertebrate Palaeontology
Supervisory interests
Vertebrate palaeontology
Wombat biology
Higher degree by research supervision
Completion
Principal supervisor: Late Pleistocene fossil sites and faunas (1), An optical assessment of the visual performance in the eyes of hunting spiders (Aranaeae: Labidognatha) (1), Small Vertebrates, Late Pleistocene faunas (1), Systematics, biomechanics, extinct kangaroos (1), Taphonomy, Late Pleistocene extinctions (1)
Associate supervisor: Systematics and biomechanics of extinct megafauna (1), arid zone ecology (Cornell Univ.) (3), isotope chemistry of marsupial teeth (ANU) (1), Geochemistry, Stratigraphy, Late Pleistocene fossil sites (1)
Expert for media contact
Animals
Ecology
Fossils
Mammals
Marsupials
Palaeontology
Tourism
Wildlife
Ecotourism
The World Heritage Naracoorte Caves
Vertebrate Palaeontology
Available for contact via
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+61 8 82012092
0427 398 713
Researcher
Media expert
Media expertise
  • Animals
  • Ecology
  • Fossils
  • Mammals
  • Marsupials
  • Palaeontology
  • Tourism
  • Wildlife
Interests
  • Ecotourism
  • The World Heritage Naracoorte Caves
  • Vertebrate Palaeontology