Dr Martin Munt

Biography

Introduction

I have now worked at the Natural History Museum for just over two years, prior to coming here I worked with regional and university collections. I was drawn to this line of work by a fascination for fossils since an early age. I regard it as a privilege to work with one of the world's greatest collections. Now with over twenty years experience, I still get a great buzz out of what I do, and despite seeing some great geology and visiting incredibly rich fossil sites, I still believe the best geology in the world is the coast of the Isle of Wight and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site of Dorset and Devon.

Employment history

June 2008 – present
Collection Manager Invertebrates and Plants: Natural History Museum, London.

Dec. 2007 – May 2008
Collection Manager Invertebrates B Team: Natural History Museum, London.

June 2000 – Nov 2007
Curator of Geology: Museum of Isle of Wight Geology/Dinosaur Isle Museum, Isle of Wight Council.

April 1996 – May 2000
Assistant Curator of Geology: Museum of Isle of Wight Geology, Isle of Wight Council.

Jan. 1990 – March 1996
Geological Technician: University of Portsmouth.

Dec. 1987 - Dec. 1989
Self-employed.

Nov.1984 – Nov 1987
Geology Project Leader: Museum of Isle of Wight Geology, Isle of Wight County Council.

Qualifications

BA (Hon's) (Portsmouth), Geography.

Diploma In Museum Studies, University of Leicester.

Ph D Paleogene Cerithioidean Gastropods, University of Portsmouth.

Professional Roles

Membership of Learned Societies

• Palaeontographical Society
• Palaeontological Association
• Geologists' Association
• Tertiary Research Group

Committees

• Chair of the Marsh Awards Committee.
• Committee member of the Palaeontographical Society

Curation

Collections

I am Collections Manager of the Invertebrate and Plant collections in the Palaeontology Department, my role is to manage the team of curators who provide the daily care for and documentation of those collections. My principal interest is with the molluscan collection, however, with specimens covering the vast diversity including insects, trilobites, corals, sea urchins, cycads and sponges, the collections never cease to provide me with new avenues of interest.

Special projects

The Mantell Project

Gideon Mantell (1790-1852) is perhaps one of the most celebrated of British Palaeontologists, famous for his discoveries of dinosaurs in southern England, the museum is the principal repository of his collections. The Palaeontology Department is running a project aimed at priority input of data associated with Mantell collections into the documentation system.

Off-site Store

As part of my role I manage our off-site storage facility, where the museum houses many of our largest objects not currently displayed. We also hold reserve collections such as duplicates and bulk samples at the this store.

Outreach projects

I lead the department's contributions to various events such as the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival and Scarborough Fossil Festival. I have great belief in the role of the amateur in Palaeontology and use my role in these events to remain in touch with local collectors and geologists.

Research

Interests

My research interests are in marginal marine and freshwater mollusc faunas of the Boreal Province from the Late Jurassic to Paleogene. 

Paleogene Cerithioidean gastropods

Following my Ph D I am working on a Palaeontographical Society Monograph reviewing Cerithioidean gastropods of the Hampshire Basin. The Cerithioidea are a diverse group of gastropods occupying a wide range of habitats. Fossil forms from the Solent Group probably record brackish and freshwater settings. The main families represented are the Melanopsidae (see picture), Thiaridae, Batillaridae and the Potamididae. Within the Solent Group the Potamididae are the most obvious, however, representatives of the Thiaridae occur in super abundance.

Melanopsis fusiformis from the Solent Group (Paleogene) of the Isle of Wight.

Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous non-marine Mollusca of the Boreal Province

A collaboration with Graciela Delvene of the Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Madrid. Our strands of research include the Early Cretaceous bivalve fauna of Europe and the Late Jurassic marginal marine of Asturias in northern Spain. Our collaborative work has led to the first discoveries of Trigoniodoidean bivalves from Spain, indicating that these essential Asiatic bivalves are more widespread than previously thought.

Geological Site Conservation

I have worked with Natural England both locally and nationally to promote the conservation of geological sites, writing management plans and site assessments for sites on the Isle of Wight and adjacent mainland.

Publications

1984   

Munt, M. The chronology of the late Pleistocene terrace gravels in the Warsash district of Hampshire.South Hampshire Geographer, 16: 37-44.

1987   

Munt, M. & Burke, A. The Pleistocene geology and faunas at Newtown, Isle of Wight. Proceedings of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society, 8: 7-14.

1989   

Munt, M., Hullman, G. & Street, A. Isle of Wight Geology Field Guide: Whitecliff Bay.Newport: Isle of Wight County Council. 20pp.

1989   

Munt, M., Hullman, G. & Street, A.Isle of Wight Geology Field Guide: Culver Cliff. Newport: Isle of Wight County Council. 16pp.

1989   

Munt, M., Hullman, G. & Street, A.Isle of Wight Geology Field Guide: Shanklin. Newport: Isle of Wight County Council. 10pp.

1989 

Munt, M., Hullman, G. & Street, A. Isle of Wight Geology Field Guide: South-West Coast.Newport: Isle of Wight County Council. 14pp.

1993  

Barker, M.J. & Munt, M. Nippononaia sp nov. a new freshwater bivalve from the Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight. Report of Activities No.15, Department of Geology University of Portsmouth. 44-45.

1993 

Munt, M. & Barker, M.J. Cerithioidean gastropods from the Solent Group (Palaeogene) as    palaeosalinity indices. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Palaeontological Association, Leeds, 1993. Palaeontology Newsletter.14.

1993   

Munt, M., Barker, M.J. & Daley, B.Recent borehole data from the Hamstead Member (Bouldnor Formation, Early Oligocene) at Cowes, Isle of Wight. Tertiary Research. 15: 49-51.

1996   

Munt, M. & Barker, M.J. Some micromorphic gastropods from the Corbula beds  Cranmore    Member (Solent Group, Early Oligocene) of the Isle of Wight, southern England. TertiaryResearch.  17: 27 - 32.

1997   

Barker, M.J., Munt, M.C. & Radley, J.The first recorded trigonioidoidean bivalve from Europe. Palaeontology. 40: 955 - 963.

1998  

Radley, J Munt, M.C. & Barker, M.J.Bivalve trace fossils (Lockeia) from the Barnes High Sandstone (Wealden Group, Lower Cretaceous) of the Wessex Sub-basin, southern England. Cretaceous Research. 19: 505 - 509.   

Munt, M.C. Chines as gateways to geology. IN Collier, R.  Island Chines. Isle of Wight Council.

1999  

M.J. Barker& Munt, M.C.  Gastropoda . IN Fossils of the Penarth Group. Field Guides to Fossils. The Palaeontological Association.

Munt, M.C.& M.J. Barker. Eccentric gastropod shell growth induced by barnacle bioimmuration. Abstracts of the 43 Annual Meeting of the Palaeontolgical Association. p.28.

 2001   

Munt,M.C. Fossil collecting on the Isle of Wight (southern England) - past, present and  future. IN A    Future for Fossils. 51-53.

Munt,M.C. A guide to Dinosaur Isle. Isle of Wight Council. 24pp.

Munt,M.C. Dinosaur Isle. Magazine of the Geologists’ Association. 1: 16.

2006   

Munt, M.C. The Geology of the Isle of Wight IN Brinton, R. The Story of the Isle of Wight. Dovecot Press.

Munt, M.C., Barker, M.J. & Radley, J. Wealden (non-marine: Lower Cretaceous) molluscs from southern England: faunas, palaebiogeography and palaeoenvironments. 9^th International Symposium Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biota. Abstracts and Proceedings Volume.105-109

2007   

Munt, M.C. Recent additions to the Isle of Wight Geological Collection. Proceedings of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society. 22, 158-160.

2008   

Munt, M.C. History of geological conservation on the Isle of Wight. In Bureck, C.V. & & Prosser, C.D.   The History of Geoconservation. Geological Society   of London Special Publication. 300.173-179.

MUNT, M., HOOKER, J. & BREWER, P. 2009. “That Lower Jaw” and the contribution of William Darwin Fox to the discovery of Eocene mammals from the Isle of Wight.  Proceedings of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society .24. 37-41. C

2009

Delvene, G & MUNT, M.  Trigonioidoidea (Unionoida) from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain. In Hart, M. (ed.) 8^th International Symposium on the Cretaceous System. Abstract Volume. 61-62. E

Delvene, G., MUNT, M. & Sender, L.M. First record of Trigonioidoidea from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain. In Buscalloni, A.D & Martinez, M.F. (ed.) 10^th International Symposium on Msozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems and biota Abstract Volume. 131-132. E

Munt, M.C.Evolution Rocks! – The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival 2009. The Palaeontological Association Newsletter, 72, 35-37. E