Jörg Maletz

       Department of Geology

       University at Buffalo (SUNY)

        772, Natural Sciences Complex

        Buffalo, New York 14260-3050

        U.S.A.

        Phone: (716) 645-6800 ext. 3996

        e-mail: jorgm@buffalo.edu

1999     Extension of the Habilitation to include Geology

1998     Habilitation: Paleontology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Germany
Habilitation thesis title: The Ordovician of the island of Rügen and its paleogeographic position based on the graptolite faunal record

1992     Dissertation: TU Berlin, Germany (Ph. D.)
Dissertation thesis title: Biostratigraphy and paleogeography of Lower Ordovician graptolite faunas from eastern Canada and Scandinavia

1987     Diploma: University of Göttingen, Germany
 

Since January 2002       Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.A.

Nov. 2000 - Apr. 2001    Research Assistant, University of Portsmouth, School of Earth, Environment and Physical
                                          Sciences, United Kingdom.

July 1999 - Dec. 2001     Lecturer, Univ. Greifswald, Germany (DFG Research Grant Ma 1269/5-1)

Aug. 1998 - Oct. 1999     Research Assistant, Institute for Applied Geology, TU Berlin, Germany

Oct. 1996 - Oct. 1998      Lecturer, Research Assistant, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

Apr. 1993 - Mar. 1995    Research Assistant, Department for Geology, SUNY Buffalo, N.Y. (DFG Research Grant Ma 1269/2-1)

Aug. 1993 - Jan. 1994    Lecturer, SUNY Buffalo, N. Y.

May 1987 - Sept. 1996   Research Assistant, Institute for Applied Geology, TU Berlin, Germany, DFG Grants Er 96/6-1 and Er 96/6-2
 

European Palaeontological Association (EPA)

Geological Society of America

Palaeontological Association, United Kingdom

Paläontologische Gesellschaft, Germany 

Member of the International Commission on Silurian stratigraphy

Member of the German Commission on Riphaean to Silurian stratigraphy

Member of the International Commission on Devonian stratigraphy 
 

1.     Introduction to Earth History (GLY 101), SUNY Buffalo, USA (1993)

2.     Exploring the Solar System I, Introduction to Geology  (GLY 103) + Lab & Field trip, SUNY Buffalo, USA

3.     Exploring the Solar System II, Earth History (GLY 104) + Lab, SUNY Buffalo, USA

4.     The Dinosaurs (GLY 137)

5.     Soft Rock I: Sedimentology (GLY 215) + Lab + 5 field trips

6.     Soft Rock II: Paleontology and Stratigraphy (GLY 216) + Lab & Field trip, SUNY Buffalo, USA

7.     Macroworld: Great Discoveries in Science (UGC 303), SUNY Buffalo, USA

8.     Colonial Paleobiology (GLY 532) + Lab, SUNY Buffalo, USA

9.     Introduction to Stratigraphy, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

10.   Vertebrate Paleontology, lectures & labs, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

11.   Invertebrate Paleontology, lectures & labs, TU Berlin, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

12.   Paleontology of the Graptolithina, TU Berlin, Univ. Greifswald, Germany

13.   Fieldtrips in Germany and Scandinavia,  Univ. Greifswald, Germany
 

Research Interests

• Global Paleozoic chrono-, bio- and lithostratigraphy

• Origin and evolution of animal coloniality and the marine planktic ecosystem

• Graptolithina & Hemichordata

• Lower Palaeozoic Radiolaria

My goal is to combine paleontological, sedimentological and biostratigraphical data in a geological context, as they essentially represent one type of information available for valuable geological interpretations, whether they are sedimentological, structural or represent any other aspect of geology. I am using a high-resolution chrono- and biostratigraphic correlation approach to get data to trace and specify macro- and microevolutionary patterns and to attain detailed data sets for stratigraphic and phylogenetic research.

In a project with colleagues from CSU Fort Collins, Colorado, I want to date directly the organic (carbonaceous) material of graptolite periderm with the Re-Os method to improve the accuracy and resolution of the geological time scale, to correlate absolute dating methods with paleontological dating methods. At the same time we work on a project to use graptolites and their distribution in black shales to understand the distribution of source rocks for Paleozoic oil and gas exploration in Scandinavia.

I am working with Sven Egenhoff (CSU, Fort Collins, U.S.A.) on a sequence stratigraphic model to recognize sequence-stratigraphic boundaries in monotonous deep-water shale sequences using planktic organisms, mostly graptolites. Maximum-flooding surfaces can be recognized in a number of sections in the Lower Ordovician of southern Scandinavia by distinct changes in the faunal compositions. This work combines sedimentological investigations with paleontological ones and yields unexpectedly good and precise interpretations of sequence boundaries not usually recognized in such environments. It will also help to understand faunal differentiations based on ecological factors, facies relationships, understand extinction and origination rates and how they influence evolutionary patterns. The early evolution of planktic organisms is still a mystery, even though planktic organisms are definitely derived from benthic ones, but the exact pathways of their evolution and the driving forces behind it have not been deciphered so far.

The evolution of animal coloniality is a complex and astonishing issue with more open questions than solved ones. Colonial organsims like the Hemichordata offered a lifestyle possibly unique to the Paleozoic, but doomed through evolutionary restrictions not well understood.  They show a distinctly limited constructional disparity due to their unique skeletal development, preventing them from attaining a leading role in the marine ecosystem, but permitting a limited success. I am interested in micro- and macroevolutionary patterns of these hemichordates as a unique example of the evolution of modular colonial organisms in the marine ecosystem.  Phylogenetic interpretations and research on constructional morphology of the colonies may help to understand the needs of these complex organisms for their special planktic life style. Spacial and temporal distribution of faunas might shed light on the factors responsible for origination and extinction events in the evolutionary history of the faunal groups involved and are an important tool to paleogeographic interpretations. An interesting new perspective is the research into the Ordovician foodchain, looking for possible relations between the evolution of micro- and macroplankton with Oliver Lehnert (Univ. Erlangen, Germany).

I am involved in the revision of the Graptolite Treatise (ed. C. E. Mitchell, UB Buffalo, N.Y. & M. J. Melchin, Antigonish, Canada). In this project I am responsible for the chapters on dendroid graptolites (Dendroidea, Camaroidea, Crustoidea, etc.), the Dichograptacea (Dichograptidae, Sinograptidae) and Glossograptacea (Isograptidae, Glossograptidae). I am also involved in chapters on graptolite structure, biogeography and evolution.

More recently I started to develop interest in the evolution of radiolarian faunas. Radiolarians appear first in the early Paleozoic, but their occurrence is poorly documented and their phylogeny and evolution nearly unknown. Serious problems in the taxonomy of radiolarian faunas, based on historical use and interpretation especially by Haeckel, still prevent them from being used successfully for ecological, biogeographical and biostratigraphical interpretations. The Radiolaria show great potential as microfossils for biostratigraphic correlation of strata devoid of macrofossils. 

In the last couple of years my fieldwork was largely based in Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway), due to a longstanding relationship with Dr. Sven Egenhoff (CSU Fort Collins; formerly TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany). We did fieldwork with a number of B.Sci. and Diploma students in southern Sweden and in the Oslo Region of Norway. We are planning to continue this work and again offer fieldwork and experience to students interested in sedimentological and paleontological aspects in this region.

My   fieldwork in North America is concentrated at the moment in New York State, western and central Newfoundland,  Quebec (see NSF Proposals), but plans exist also for  Victoria, Australia, Britain and Denmark. This work will offer the chance to a number of students to work on biostratigraphical and biogeographical questions concerning the position and identification of the main Iapetus Suture in central Newfoundland, to understand the biogeographical differentiation of Ordovician graptolite faunas. I have a project plan to work on microfaunas from western Newfoundland to identify biostratigraphical ties between macrofaunas (graptolites, trilobites) and microfaunas (radiolarians, conodonts) in the Cow Head and Table Head Groups of western Newfoundland. This may lead to fieldwork in other regions in North America for comparison, but plans are preliminary at the moment.