Jeff Over (Geneseo)
“CONODONTS AND ADVANCES IN DEVONIAN ASTROCHRONOLOGY”
Conodonts - the microscopic tooth-like remains of an extinct eel-like organism, arguably the first vertebrate - are
an important tool for diverse geological and geochemical studies seeking to unravel the history of critical
paleoceanographic, paleoclimatic, biotic, and paleotectonic changes from the Late Cambrian through the Triassic.
Recognition of key beds and U/Pb dating of tephra horizons has allowed recognition of Milankovitch cycles
in the offshore strata of western New York.
Dr. Jeff Over has been a member of the SUNY Geneseo faculty since 1991. Dr. Over obtained a BS in geology
with a biology minor from Allegheny College in 1982, a MSc in geology from the University of Alberta in 1985,
and a PhD in geology from Texas Tech University in 1990. He conducted his post-doctoral work at Texas A&M
University in 1990-91. Dr. Over’s research interests are conodonts, organic-rich shales, biostratigraphy, field geology,
and trace fossils.