Dr Vanessa Bowman has been a geologist and palaeoclimate researcher specialising in Antarctic palaeoclimates, palaeoenvironments and palaeoecology. She holds a BSc in Geology from the University of Southampton and a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. She subsequently held post-doctoral fellowships in New Zealand and the UK, including with GNS Science (now Earth Sciences New Zealand), Victoria University of Wellington, the University of Leeds and the British Antarctic Survey.

Her research focuses on reconstructing high southern palaeolatitude climates and environments, with particular expertise in palaeobotany, fossil wood, palaeoecology, terrestrial and marine palynology, and biostratigraphy. Her research concentrated latterly on Cretaceous and Palaeogene sediments and fossils, with a focus on the geological and environmental history of Antarctica and the evolution of high-latitude palaeoclimate through geological time.

Vanessa’s Antarctic fieldwork has included research in the Ross Sea region as part of the Cape Roberts Drilling Project, PhD fieldwork in the Allan Hills of the Transantarctic Mountains, and NERC-supported research on Seymour Island in the James Ross Basin. She has also worked on Quaternary and modern phytoliths from the sub-Antarctic Campbell and Auckland Islands, and from Australia.

Her research integrates geological, palaeontological and palaeoenvironmental evidence with modelling approaches to investigate how Antarctic climates have changed through deep time. By studying periods when Antarctica experienced markedly warmer conditions than today, her work provides insights into past climate dynamics and the response of high-latitude environments to environmental change.

Vanessa is a Trustee for the Trans-Antarctic Association, and currently works at Peterhouse in Cambridge supporting students as the Tutorial Office Manager. She continues to work with colleagues around the world on Antarctic palaeoclimates and is happy to engage with anyone with similar scientific interests.

Selected Publications: (previous name Thorn)

Witts, J.; Bowman, V.C., Wignall, P., Crame, J.A., Francis, J.E., Newton, R. (2015). Evolution and extinction of Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) cephalopods from the López de Bertodano Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctica. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, 418, 193-212.

Crame, J.A.; Beu, A.; Ineson, J.; Francis, J.E.; Whittle, R.; Bowman, V.C. (2014). The early origin of the Antarctic marine fauna and its evolutionary implications. PLoS ONE, 9(12), e114743.

Crame, J.A.; Francis, J.E.;, Robinson, S.A.; Bowman, V.C. (2014). Polar Predictions – How does the study of past environments and climates shed light on the impact of major environmental change? International International, Research Media International, 134 (Environment), 85-87.

Bowman, V.C.; Francis, J.E.; Askin, R.; Riding, J.B.; Swindles, G. (2014). Latest Cretaceous-earliest Paleogene vegetation and climate change at the high southern latitudes: palynological evidence from Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, 408, 26-47.

Kemp, D.; Robinson, S.; Crame, J.A.; Francis, J.E.; Ineson, J.; Whittle, R.; Bowman, V.C.; O’Brien, C. (2014). A cool temperate climate on the Antarctic Peninsula through the latest Cretaceous to early Paleogene. Geology, 42, 583-586.

Bowman, V.C.; Francis, J.E., Riding, J.B. (2013). Late Cretaceous winter sea ice in Antarctica? Geology, 41, 1227-1230.

Hill, D.J., Haywood, A.M., Valdes, P.J., Francis, J.E., Lunt, D.J., Wade, B.S., Bowman, V.C. (2013). Paleogeographic controls on the onset of the Antarctic circumpolar current. Geophysical Research Letters, 40, 5199-5204.

Hambrey, M.J., Barker, P.F., Barrett, P.J., Bowman, V.C., Davies, B., Smellie, J.L., Tranter, M. (editors) (2013). Antarctic Palaeoenvironments and Earth-Surface Processes. Geological Society Special Publication 381, 506 pp.

Bowman, V.C., Riding, J.B., Francis, J.E., Crame, J.A., Hannah, M.J. (2013) The taxonomy and palaeobiogeography of small chorate dinoflagellate cysts from the Late Cretaceous to Quaternary of Antarctica. Palynology, 37, 151-169.

Bowman, V.C., Francis, J.E., Riding, J.B., Hunter, S.J., Haywood, A.M. (2012). A latest Cretaceous to earliest Paleogene dinoflagellate cyst zonation from Antarctica, and implications for phytoprovincialism in the high southern latitudes. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 171, 40-56.

Thorn, V.C., Riding, J.B., Francis, J.E. (2009). The Late Cretaceous dinoflagellate cyst Manumiella –biostratigraphy, systematics, and palaeoecological signals in Antarctica. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 156(3-4), 436-448.

Francis, J.E., Ashworth, A., Cantrill, D., Crame, J.A., Howe, J., Stephens, R., Tosolini, A-M., Thorn, V.C. (2008). 100 million years of Antarctic climate evolution: evidence from fossil plants. In: Cooper, A.K., Barrett, P.J., Stagg, H., Storey, B., Stump, E., Wise, W., and 10th ISAES editorial team (editors), Antarctica: a keystone in a changing world, Washington, D C: The National Academies Press, pp 19-27.

Francis, J.E., Marenssi, S., Levy, R., Hambrey, M., Thorn, V.C., Mohr, B., Brinkhuis, H., Warnaar, J., Zachos, J., Bohaty, S., DeConto, R. (2008). From Greenhouse to Icehouse – the Eocene/Oligocene in Antarctica. In: Florindo, F., Seigert, M. (editors), Antarctic Climate Evolution, 8, The Netherlands: Elsevier, pp 309-368.

Thorn, V.C. (2008). New Zealand sub-Antarctic phytoliths and their potential for vegetation reconstruction. Antarctic Science, 20(1), 21-32.

Francis, J.E., Thorn, V.C. (2006). Antarctic fossil plants. In: Riffenburgh, B (editor), Encyclopedia of the Antarctic, New York: Routledge.

Thorn, V.C., DeConto, R. (2006). Antarctic climate at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary – climate model sensitivity to high latitude vegetation type and comparisons with the palaeobotanical record. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 231, 134-157.

Whitehead, J.M., Ehrmann W., Harwood, D.M., Hillenbrand, C-D., Quilty, P.G., Hart, C., Taviani, M., Thorn, V.C., Mcminn, A. (2006). Late Miocene paleoenvironment of the Lambert Graben embayment, East Antarctica, evidence from: mollusc paleontology, sedimentology and geochemistry. Global and Planetary Change, 50(3-4), 127-147.

Thorn, V.C. (2004a). Phytoliths from subantarctic Campbell Island: plant production & soil surface spectra. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 132, 37-59.

Thorn, V.C. (2004b). Data Report: Phytoliths within drill core sediments from Sites 1165 & 1166, Leg 188, Prydz Bay, East Antarctica. In: Cooper, A.K., O’Brien, P.E., Richter, C. (editors), Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, 188, 1-12. Available online at http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/188_SR/002/002.htm.

Thorn, V.C. (2001). Vegetation communities of a high palaeolatitude Middle Jurassic forest in New Zealand. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 168(3-4): 273-289.

Thorn, V.C. (2000). Oligocene and Early Miocene phytoliths from CRP-2/2A and CRP-3, Victoria Land Basin, Antarctica. Terra Antartica, 8(4): 407-422.

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

2023

Ineson, Jon R. Bowman, Vanessa C. Crame, J. Alistair ORCID record for Crame, J. Alistair. Francis, Jane E. Whittle, Rowan J. ORCID record for Whittle, Rowan J.. (2023) Sequence stratigraphy of a wave-dominated, tidally influenced delta in the Danian of Seymour Island, Antarctica: An integrated sedimentological–palaeoecological approach.

2019

Whittle, Rowan J. ORCID record for Whittle, Rowan J.. Witts, James D. Bowman, Vanessa C. Crame, J. Alistair ORCID record for Crame, J. Alistair. Francis, Jane E. Ineson, Jon. (2019) Nature and timing of biotic recovery in Antarctic benthic marine ecosystems following the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction.

2016

Bowman, Vanessa. (2016) Antarctic palynology and palaeoclimate – a review.

Witts, James D. Whittle, Rowan J. ORCID record for Whittle, Rowan J.. Wignall, Paul B. Crame, J. Alistair ORCID record for Crame, J. Alistair. Francis, Jane E. Newton, Robert J. Bowman, Vanessa C. (2016) Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica.

Bowman, V. Ineson, J. Riding, J. ORCID record for Riding, J.. Crame, J. ORCID record for Crame, J.. Francis, J. Condon, D. Whittle, R. ORCID record for Whittle, R.. Ferraccioli, F. ORCID record for Ferraccioli, F.. (2016) The Paleocene of Antarctica: dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy and implications for the palaeo-Pacific margin of Gondwana.

2014

Crame, J. Alistair ORCID record for Crame, J. Alistair. Beu, Alain G. Ineson, Jon R. Francis, Jane E. Whittle, Rowan J. ORCID record for Whittle, Rowan J.. Bowman, Vanessa C. (2014) The early origin of the Antarctic Marine Fauna and its evolutionary implications.

Witts, James D. Bowman, Vanessa C. Wignall, Paul B. Crame, J. Alistair ORCID record for Crame, J. Alistair. Francis, Jane E. Newton, Robert J. (2014) Evolution and extinction of Maastrictian (Late Cretaceous) cephalopods from the López de Bertodano Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctica.

Kemp, David B. Robinson, Stuart A. Crame, J. Alistair ORCID record for Crame, J. Alistair. Francis, Jane E. Ineson, Jon. Whittle, Rowan J. ORCID record for Whittle, Rowan J.. Bowman, Vanessa. O'Brien, Charlotte. (2014) A cool temperate climate on the Antarctic Peninsula during the latest Cretaceous and early Paleogene.

Bowman, Vanessa C. Francis, Jane E. Askin, Rosemary A. Riding, James B. ORCID record for Riding, James B.. Swindles, Graeme T. (2014) Latest Cretaceous–earliest Paleogene vegetation and climate change at the high southern latitudes: palynological evidence from Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula.

Crame, Alistair ORCID record for Crame, Alistair. Francis, Jane. Robinson, Stuart. Bowman, Vanessa. (2014) Polar predictions.

Bowman, Vanessa. (2014) Book review. The vegetation of Antarctica through geological time. D.J. Poole and I. Poole. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2012.

2013

Bowman, Vanessa C. Francis, Jane E. Riding, James B. ORCID record for Riding, James B.. (2013) Late Cretaceous winter sea ice in Antarctica?.

Hill, Daniel J. Haywood, Alan M. Valdes, Paul J. Francis, Jane E. Lunt, Daniel J. Wade, Bridget S. Bowman, Vanessa C. (2013) Paleogeographic controls on the onset of the Antarctic circumpolar current.

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