Mike Benton

Professor Mike Benton is a leading expert in vertebrate paleontology at the University of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences. His research focuses on dinosaur evolution, mass extinctions, and the interplay between environmental change and biological innovation. He holds academic titles including OBE, FRS, and FRSE. His work spans large-scale evolutionary patterns, fossil record analysis, and the recovery of life post-mass extinctions.

Education: B.Sc. from Aberystwyth University and Ph.D. from Newcastle University. His lab, the Benton Lab, specializes in macroevolutionary studies using computational tools, with a focus on dinosaurs, reptiles, and birds. Current projects include exploring the impact of mass extinctions and the evolution of feathers and color in archosaurs.

Research Interests:

• Vertebrate diversity and disparity through geological time
• Feather and color evolution in theropods
• Resilience of ecosystems post-Permian-Triassic extinction

Scientific Awards: OBE (2012), Fellow of the Royal Society (2013), Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2020).

Grants and Advising: Supervised over 70 PhD students, leading numerous ERC and NERC-funded projects. Key grants include a €2.5M ERC Advanced Fellowship on tetrapod evolution and an £800k NERC award on Permian-Triassic recovery.

Labs/Teams: Director of the Benton Lab, collaborating with global institutions on projects like the Bristol Dinosaur Project and the Strawberry Bank microvertebrate studies.