Professor Richard Butler PhD

Professor Richard Butler

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Professor of Palaeobiology
Director of Research, College of Life and Environmental Sciences

Contact details

Email
r.butler.1@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
Address
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Richard is a vertebrate palaeontologist with expertise in the systematics, evolution and biogeography of late Palaeozoic to Mesozoic reptiles. His research addresses major patterns and drivers of biodiversity change through deep time, particularly as exemplified by four-limbed vertebrates (tetrapods), over the last 375 million years. He is also interested in the origin and dramatic evolutionary radiation of dinosaurs and closely related fossil groups in the aftermath of the Permo-Triassic mass extinction, the largest extinction event in the history of life on Earth. In addition to research, he acts as Director of Research for the College of Life & Environmental Sciences. 

Qualifications

2007 – PhD, University of Cambridge
2002 – BSc Geology, University of Bristol

Biography

Richard is a vertebrate palaeontologist with expertise in the systematics, evolution and biogeography of late Palaeozoic to Mesozoic reptiles. His research addresses major patterns and drivers of biodiversity change through deep time, particularly as exemplified by four-limbed vertebrates (tetrapods), over the last 375 million years. He is also interested in the origin and dramatic evolutionary radiation of dinosaurs and closely related fossil groups in the aftermath of the Permo-Triassic mass extinction, the largest extinction event in the history of life on Earth. In addition to research, he acts as Director of Research for the College of Life & Environmental Sciences.

  • 2022–. Director of Research & Knowledge Transfer, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
  • 2020–2022. Director of Global Engagement, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
  • 2017–. Professor of Palaeobiology, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
  • 2015–2017. Senior Birmingham Fellow, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
  • 2013–2018. Academic Keeper of the Lapworth Museum of Geology, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
  • 2013–2015. Birmingham Fellow, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
  • 2011–2013. Junior Research Group Leader, Emmy Noether Programme (DFG), GeoBio-Center, LMU, Munich, Germany. 
  • 2009–2011. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellowship. Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Munich, Germany
  • 2006–2009. NERC Postdoctoral Researcher. Natural History Museum London. 

Teaching

Richard supervises major/advanced projects and makes contributions to a number of other modules, including Palaeontology Field & Museum Skills.

Research

  • Systematics, taxonomy, and anatomy of fossil reptiles, particularly dinosaurs and closely related groups
  • Terrestrial recovery from the Permo-Triassic mass extinction event
  • Phanerozoic and Mesozoic diversification patterns among vertebrates, and fossil record quality
  • Late Palaeozoic–Mesozoic vertebrate biogeography
  • Body size evolution and its drivers in deep time
  • Early evolution of the avian respiratory system, and lung ventilation among fossil archosaurs

Other activities

  • 2021–2022. Vice-President, Palaeontological Association.
  • 2021–. Scientific Advisory Board of the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Catalonia.
  • 2021–. Advisory Board, Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
  • 2021–. Member, Jurassic Coast Trust Collection Working Group.
  • 2021–. Editorial Board, Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
  • 2020–2022. Director of Global Engagement, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
  • 2018–2021. REF lead, UoA7 Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, GEES, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
  • 2013–2018. Academic Keeper, Lapworth Museum of Geology, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
  • 2015–2018. Chair of Steering Group, Symposium on Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy (SVPCA)
  • 2012–2017. Program Committee, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
  • 2014–2016. Member of Council, the Palaeontological Association
  • 2013–2017. Executive Committee, the Paleobiology Database
  • 2013–2018. Editorial Board, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
  • 2013–. Editorial Board, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
  • 2012–2014. Editorial Board, PLOS ONE
  • 2010–2013. Associate Editor, Paläontologische Zeitschrift
  • 2008–2011. Section Editor, Fossil Reptiles, Zootaxa

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Edgar, K, Butler, R, Larwood, J & Smith, J 2025, '', Proceedings of the Geologists' Association.

Markovic, Z, Milivojević, M, Butler, RJ, Barrett, PM, Wills, S, van de Weerd, AA, Wessels, W & Radovic, P 2025, '', Cretaceous Research.

Smyth, RSH, Breithaupt, BH, Butler, RJ, Falkingham, PL & Unwin, DM 2025, '', Current Biology, vol. 35, no. 10, pp. 2337-2353.e5.

Maidment, S & Butler, RJ 2025, '', Biology Letters, vol. 21, no. 4, 20250045.

Marsden, MK, Gunn, J, Maidment, SCR, Nichols, G, Wheeley, JR, Russell, CE, Boomer, I, Stukins, S & Butler, RJ 2025, '', Journal of the Geological Society.

Panciroli, E, Funston, GF, Maidment, SCR, Butler, R, Benson, RBJ, Crawford, BL, Fair, M, Fraser, NC & Walsh, S 2025, '', Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Dean, CD, Chiarenza, AA, Doser, JW, Farnsworth, A, Jones, LA, Lyster, SJ, Outhwaite, CL, Valdes, PJ, Butler, RJ & Mannion, PD 2025, '', Current Biology, vol. 35, no. 9, pp. 1973-1988.e6.

Maidment, S, Ouarhache, D, Butler, RJ, Boumir, K, Oussou, A, Ech-charay, K, El Khanchoufi, A & Barrett, PM 2025, '', Royal Society Open Science, vol. 12, no. 3, 241624.

Meade, LE, Butler, RJ, Jones, MEH & Fraser, NC 2024, '', Papers in Palaeontology, vol. 10, no. 6, e1605.

Fawcett, MJ, Lautenschlager, S, Bestwick, J & Butler, RJ 2024, '', The Anatomical Record.

Smyth, RSH, Breithaupt, BH, Butler, RJ, Falkingham, PL & Unwin, DM 2024, '', Current Biology.

Butler, R, Meade, L, Cleary, T, McWhirter, K, Brown, E, Kemp, T, Benito, J & Fraser, N 2024, '', The Anatomical Record.

Schnetz, L, Dunne, EM, Feichtinger, I, Butler, RJ, Coates, MI & Sansom, IJ 2024, '', Paleobiology, pp. 1-14.

Butler, RJ, Edgar, KM, Haller, L, Meade, LE, Jones, HT, Hill, O, Scriven, S & Reedman, C 2024, '', Royal Society Open Science, vol. 11, no. 7, 240583.

Foffa, D, Nesbitt, SJ, Butler, RJ, Brusatte, SL, Walsh, S, Fraser, NC & Barrett, PM 2024, '', The Anatomical Record.

Expertise

Dinosaurs, vertebrate palaeontology, fossils