معرفی
Dr. Jan van Dam is a researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at the Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University. His research bridges evolutionary biology, stratigraphy, and paleoclimatology, with a focus on micromammals as tools for understanding Neogene terrestrial climate and faunal turnover.
- Institution: Utrecht University
- School: Faculty of Geosciences
- Department: Department of Earth Sciences
- Research Group: Stratigraphy & Paleontology
- Email: j.a.vandam@uu.nl
- Location: Willem C. van Unnik Building, Room 514, Heidelberglaan 2, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
Jan van Dam earned his PhD from Utrecht University in 1997, focusing on Late Miocene micromammals from the Teruel Basin, Spain. He has conducted postdoctoral research at Utrecht University and the Institut Català de Paleontologia, and held grant positions in Madrid and Helsinki. He has taught at universities in Utrecht, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and served as a Flint Lecturer at Yale University.
His research interests include evolutionary biology, stratigraphy, paleoclimatology, isotopic geochemistry, geometric morphometrics, and terrestrial astrochronology. He uses small mammals to reconstruct paleoenvironments, study climate change impacts, and develop biostratigraphic frameworks. His work often involves field campaigns in Spain, Turkey, and Pakistan.
The most recent publications (2023–2009) show a consistent focus on Neogene rodent biostratigraphy, paleoclimatology, and evolutionary ecology. Key themes include the development of new rodent chronologies for Spain, paleoprecipitation proxies, insular evolution, and the impact of astronomical forcing on mammal turnover. The research spans geographic areas such as the Iberian Peninsula, Turkey, and the Mediterranean.
Dr. van Dam has contributed to major reference works, including The Geologic Time Scale 2012, and has served as an associate editor for the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. His research has been funded by Utrecht University, the Dutch Science Foundation, Academy of Finland, and the EU-funded BiodIberia Program.
He has organized and participated in numerous fieldwork campaigns across Europe and Asia, contributing to international collaborations in paleobiology. He has coordinated symposia for the Dutch-Flemish Paleobiological Circle, demonstrating active engagement in the academic community.
