Paleontologist Prof. Dr. P. Martin Sander

This is the professional webpage of P. Martin Sander, professor of vertebrate paleontology at the University of Bonn, Germany

Fieldwork

I have led or co-led the following field campaigns, at least 5 days in duration (but usually much longer), listed by date last conducted:

  • 2024, 2019: Reconnaissance fieldwork in the Late Triassic Pardonet Formation of northern British Columbia, Canada, directed at giant ichthyosaurs

  • 2024, 2023, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2005, 1998, 1996, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1992: Lower and Middle Triassic of Nevada, collecting of the marine reptile fauna from the  remote Augusta Mountains. This fieldwork is physically very demanding because of the endurance required in accessing the excavation sites by hiking and working in changing weather conditions from very hot to very cold. Accomodation is in tents, and the nearest town is two hours away by dirt road. 

  • 2024, 2019, 2018, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2004,: Middle Triassic of Guizhou, SW China, faunal content, sedimentology, and taphonomy of the different marine reptile localities in the region. From 2004 to 2009, this fieldwork was conducted with Prof. Wang Xiao-Feng of the Wuhan Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources of the Chinese Geological Survey. Since 2018, the fieldwork was conducted together with Dr. Liu Jun (Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China).

  • 2024, 2023, 2018: Late Jurassic dinosaur bonebeds and trackways, central Portugal, together with Bruno Silva (Natural History Society of Torres Vedras)

  • 2024, 2018: Triassic and Jurassic of Thailand: Study of Thaisaurus locality (one of the oldest ichthyosaurs), Jurassic and Cretaceous dinosaur localities, Late Triassic footprints together with Dr. Adun Samathi (Maha Sarakham University, Thailand)

  • 2023: High Alpine reconnaissance fieldwork focussed on Late Triassic marine vertebrates, specifically giant ichthyosaurs, in the Kössen Formation of eastern Switzerland (Tinzenhorn) together with Dr. Heinz Furrer (University of Zurich, Switzerland)

  • 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015: Rhaetian of Bonenburg, eastern Westphalia, Germany: Excavation of a classical bonebed at the Triassic/Jurassic boundary including dinosaurs. The work was performed under under the leadership of Dr. Tanja Wintrich in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

  • 2022: Reconnaissance fieldwork in the Early and Middle Triassic marine formations of the Arctic island of Spitsbergen, directed at giant ichthyosaurs

  • 2021: High Alpine reconnaissance fieldwork focussed on Late Triassic marine vertebrates, specifically giant ichthyosaurs, in the Kössen Formation of eastern Switzerland (Schesaplana Mountain, Crachenhorn Mountain near Davos) together with Dr. Torsten Scheyer (University of Zurich, Switzerland)

  • 2019: Reconnaissance fieldwork in the Late Triassic of the French Pacific department of New Caledonia, directed at giant ichthyosaurs

  • 2019, 2018, 2016: Early Triassic of Anhui, eastern China, yielding some of the earliest Triassic marine reptiles. The fieldwork was conducted together with Dr. Liu Jun (Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China).

  • 2016: Late Cretaceous extensional basins of southen and central China to study oviraptor dinosaur reproductive biology. The fieldwork was conducted together with Dr. Yang Tzu-Ruei (Taiwan National Museum of Natural History).

  • 2013: Reconnaissance fieldwork in the Triassic and Jurassic of Xinjiang, China. The work was focused on Middle and Late Jurassic dinosaur localities of the Jungar and Turfan-Hami basins and was conducted together with my Bonn collegue Prof. Thomas Martin and Prof. Sun Ge of Jilin University, China. 

  • 2011, 2010: Lower Permian of North Texas, recovery of pelycosaur material for the Bonn collections and for histological study, together with Dr. Koen Stein and Christen Shelton

  • 2005: Middle Triassic of Winterswijk, The Netherlands, collecting of marine reptile fossil and terrestrial reptile trackways. The work has been continued under the leadership of Dr. Nicole Klein until 2014 and since then by Dutch collegues Dr. Jelle Reumer and Dr. Anne Schulp of the University of Utrecht.

  • 1988: Late Triassic Plateosaurus bonebed in Frick, Switzerland, excavation in the dinosaur bonebed for taphonomic data collecting. Since 2007, I have been the scientific advisor to the annual excavation campaigns of the Sauriermusem Frick and the Cantone Aargau.

  • 1989, 1988, 1985: Triassic of Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland, stratigraphy and sedimentology of the marine reptile fossil deposits

  • 1984, 1983, 1982: Lower Permian of North Texas, sedimentology and taphonomy of vertebrate fossil deposits