Selected Publications List
Paleosol-derived paleoclimate and paleoenvironment reconstruction of the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania: Implications for faunal dispersal in the Miocene-Pliocene. 2023. T Orr, EM Roberts, Michael I. Bird, C Mtelela, PM O’Connor, NJ Stevens. J. Sedimentary Res. 93:309–326. doi: 10.2110/jsr.2022.015
Radiogenic isotope record of magma genesis and lithospheric geodynamics of the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania, from mid-Mesozoic to present. 2022. L Lawrence, C Spandler, HL Hilbert-Wolf, C Mtelela, NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor, EM Roberts. – – Chemical Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2022.121040.
Paleoatmospheric CO2 oscillations through a cool middle/Late Cretaceous recorded from pedogenic carbonates in Africa. Cretaceous Research. 2022. T Orr, CM Wurster, EM Roberts, RE Singleton, NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor. – – Cretaceous Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105191.
Macroscelideans (Myohyracinae and Rhynchocyoninae) from the late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation of the Rukwa Rift Basin, southwestern Tanzania. 2022. NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor, C Mtelela, EM Roberts. – – Historical Biology 34(4):604-610. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2021.1938565.
Evolution and paleoenvironment of early modern vertebrates during the Paleogene. 2020. T Smith, T De Putter, S Louwye, J Yans, M Borths, NJ Stevens. – – Geobios. 10.1016/j.geobios.2020.04.001.
A new Protopterus assemblage of Cenozoic lungfishes (Dipnoi: Lepdiosirenidae) from the late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation of Tanzania. 2020. K Claeson, S Ngasala, MD Gottfried, EM Roberts, PM O’Connor, NJ Stevens. – – Geobios. 10.1016/j.geobios.2020.09.004.
The oldest lamprophiid (Serpentes, Caenophidia) fossil from the late Oligocene Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania and the origins of African snake diversity. 2020. J McCartney, S Bouchard, JA Reinhardt, EM Roberts, PM O’Connor, C Mtelela, NJ Stevens. – – Geobios. 10.1016/j.geobios.2020.07.005.
The earliest fossil evidence of the African Clawed Frog (genus Xenopus) from sub-Saharan Africa. 2019. DC Blackburn, DJ Paluh, I Krone, EM Roberts, EL Stanley, NJ Stevens. Journal of Herpetology. https://doi.org/10.1670/18-139.
A new mammal from the Turonian – Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) Galula Formation, southwestern Tanzania. 2019. PM O’Connor, D Krause, NJ Stevens, J Groenke, R MacPhee, D Kalthoff. Acta Paleontologica Polonica https://doi.org/10.4202/app.00568.2018
A fossil gekkotan (Squamata) from the Late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation, Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania/ 2018. J Muller, EM Roberts, ER Naylor, NJ Stevens. Journal of Herpetology.
Paleomagnetism of the Cretaceous Galula Formation and implications for vertebrate paleontology. 2018. S Widlansky, W Clyde, PM O’Connor, EM Roberts, NJ Stevens. Journal of African Earth Sciences. doi: 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2017.11.029.
The first hyaenodont from the late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation of Tanzania: paleoecological insights into the Paleogene-Neogene carnivore transition. 2017. MR Borths and NJ Stevens. PLOS ONE. DOI:
The second titanosaurian (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation, southwestern Tanzania with remarks on African titanosaurian diversity. 2017. E Gorscak, PM O’Connor, EM Roberts, NJ Stevens. – – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2017.1343250.
Sedimentology and paleoenvironments of a fossiliferous late Neogene-Quaternary sedimentary succession in the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. 2017. C Mtelela, EM Roberts, H Hilbert-Wolf, B Downie, M Hendrix, NJ Stevens. – – Journal of African Earth Sciences. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2017.01.010.
Application of U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology to drill cuttings for age control in hydrocarbon exploration wells: a case study from the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. 2017. H Hilbert-Wolf, EM Roberts, B Downie, C Mtelela, NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor. – – American Association of Petroleum Geologists. doi:10.1306/06281616003.
Oldest fossil evidence of farming insects reveals origin of agriculture. 2016. EM Roberts, CN Todd, DL Aanen, T Nobre, HL Hilbert-Wolf, PM O’Connor, L Tapanila, C Mtelela, NJ Stevens. – – PLOS-ONE. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156847.
Time-calibrated models support congruency between Cretaceous continental rifting and titanosaurian evolutionary history. 2016. E Gorscak, PM O’Connor. – – Biology Letters. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.1047.
Alestid fishes from the late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation, Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. 2016. W Stevens, K Claeson, NJ Stevens. – – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
The earliest record of the endemic African frog family Ptychadenidae from the Oligocene Nsungwe Formation of Tanzania. 2015. D Blackburn, EM Roberts, NJ Stevens. – – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2014.907174.
The basal titanosaurian sauropod from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation, Rukwa Rift Basin, southwestern Tanzania. 2014. E Gorscak, PM O’Connor, NJ Stevens, EM Roberts – –Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2014.845568.
The Earliest Colubroid-Dominated Snake Fauna from Africa: Perspectives from the Late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation of Southwestern Tanzania. 2014. J McCartney, NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor. – – PLOS ONE 9(3):e90415. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0090415.
Palaeontological evidence for an Oligocene divergence between Old World monkeys and apes – – & Nature News. 2013. NJ Stevens, ER Seiffert, PM O’Connor, EM Roberts, MD Schmitz, C Krause, E Gorscak, S Ngasala, TL Hieronymus, J Temu – – Nature. doi:10.1038/nature12161.
Initiation of the western branch of the East African Rift coeval with the eastern branch. 2012. EM Roberts, NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor, PHGM Dirks, MD Gottfried, WC Clyde, RA Armstrong, AIS Kemp, S Hemming. – – Nature Geosciences. doi:10.1038/NGEO1432
The evolution of mammal-like crocodyliforms in the Cretaceous Period of Gondwana. 2010. PM O’Connor, JJW Sertich, NJ Stevens, EM Roberts, MD Gottfried, TL Hieronymus, ZA Jinnah, R Ridgely, SE Ngasala and J Temba – – Nature. doi:10.1038/nature09061.
Sedimentology and depositional environments of the Red Sandstone Group, Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania: New insight into Cretaceous and Paleogene terrestrial ecosystems and tectonics in sub-Equatorial Africa. 2010. EM Roberts, PM O’Connor, NJ Stevens, MD Gottfried, ZA Jinnah, S Ngasala, AM Choh and RA Armstrong.
A Hyracoid from the Late Oligocene Red Sandstone Group of Tanzania, Rukwalorax jinokitana (Gen. and Sp. Nov.). 2009. NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor, EM Roberts, and MD Gottfried
A new Cretaceous lungfish (Dipnoi: Ceratodontidae) from the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. 2009. MD Gottfried, NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor, EM Roberts, R Chami.
Kahawamys mbeyaensis (N. Gen., N. Sp.) (Rodentia: Thryonomyoidea) from the Late Oligocene Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. 2009. NJ Stevens, PA Holroyd, EM Roberts, PM O’Connor, and MD Gottfried
Paleontological Exploration in Africa. 2008. NJ Stevens, MD Gottfried, EM Roberts, S Kapilima, S Ngasala and PM O’Connor
A new freshwater crab (Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamonautidae) from the Paleogene of Tanzania, Africa. 2007. RM Feldmann, PM O’Connor, NJ Stevens, MD Gottfried, EM Roberts, S Ngasala, EL Rasmusson, and S Kapilima
A new vertebrate fauna from the Cretaceous Red Sandstone Group, Rukwa Rift Basin, Southwestern Tanzania. 2006. PM O’Connor, MD Gottfried, NJ Stevens, EM Roberts, S Ngasala, S Kapilima, and R Chami
Metaphiomys (Rodentia: Phiomyidae) from the Paleogene of Southwestern Tanzania. 2006. NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor, MD Gottfried, EM Roberts, S Ngasala, and MR Dawson
An Anthropoid Primate Humerus from the Rukwa Rift Basin, Paleogene of Southwestern Tanzania. 2005. NJ Stevens, PM O’Connor, MD Gottfried, EM Roberts, S Ngasala
Dinosaur Eggshell from the Red Sandstone Group of Tanzania. 2004. MD Gottfried, PM O’Connor, FD Jackson, EM Roberts, and R Chami
Revised stratigraphy and age of the Red Sandstone Group in the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. 2004. EM Roberts, PM O’Connor, MD Gottfried, NJ Stevens, S Kapalima, S Ngasala
A Cretaceous Mammal from Tanzania. 2003. DW Krause, MD Gottfried, PM O’Connor, and EM Roberts.