Dr Fiona Fearnhead
AMC Enquiries Officer, Earth Sciences
Division: LS Angela Marmont Centre
Summary
My major research centres on the taxonomy and palaeobiology of British Palaeozoic crinoids.
Geology is one of the few sciences where amateurs of all ages can make a significant and valuable contribution. The true value of fossils lies in the clues they give us for understanding the history of past life.
I am passionate about communicating the importance of recording information with every specimen collected – in particular, locality data and whether dug up or found loose on the ground. Clear and correct locality data enables important amateur finds to make a valuable contribution to science. I am committed to engaging with the public in this joint adventure and extending our knowledge of Earth history.
Qualifications
- B.Sc. Geology (Hons.), University of London, United Kingdom, 2005 - ongoing
- Ph.D, University of London, United Kingdom
- Cert.Ed. Music, Trinity College, London., UK
- Cert. Ed. (CNAA) Teaching, Cheltenham (University of Gloucestershire)., United Kingdom
Degrees
Employment history
- Identification & Advisory Service Palaeontologist, The Natural History Museum, London, UK, Angela Marmont Centre, Life Sciences, UK, 2012 - ongoing
- Teaching/Demonstrating, University of London, Birkbeck College,, Earth & Planetary Sciences, UK, 2009 - ongoing
- Contract Curator for Project: British Silurian Crinoidea, The Natural History Museum, London, UK, Earth Science, UK, 2011 - 2012
- Curatorial Assistant, The Natural History Museum, London, Palaeontology, United Kingdom, 2011 - 2012
- Lecturer in Education, Barnet College of Further Education, Health, Education and Social Science, United Kingdom, 2001 - 2005
Academic
Fellowships
Fellow of the Geological Society, London,
Committees
Palaeontographical Society, 2014 - on going.
Memberships
Member, The Geological Society, London, 2002 - on going.
Member, Palaeontological Association, 2002 - on going.
Geological Association.
Publications
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE (2016) Two little-known crinoids from the type area of the Devonian, south-west England. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 127 (6) : 712 - 715. doi: 10.1016/j.pgeola.2016.10.003
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK (2015) Fossil crinoids from the Valley of Rocks, Lynton, north Devon (Devonian). Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 126 : 582 - 588.
Stone P, Rushton A, Fearnhead FE (2015) Charles Darwin's 'Gorgonia' : a palaeontological mystery from the Falkland Islands resolved. Falkland Islands Journal, 10 (4) : 6 - 15.
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE (2016) Cramped conditions: palaeontological implications of Recent borings in a mobile chalk cobble. 45 : 2.
Fearnhead FE, Feneru F, Fisher C, Rumsey F, Tweddle J (2015) The Identification & Advisory Service. Deposits Magazine. 44 : 28 - 32.
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE (2014) A dearth of diplobathrids (Crinoidea) from the type Devonian System, SW England. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 60 (2) : 91 - 97. doi: 10.1144/pygs2014-345
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK (2014) New crinoids from the Lynton Formation (Devonian) of the Valley of Rocks, north Devon, England. Presented at Palaeontological Association Meeting, Leeds.
Fearnhead FE, Hine S, Feneru F, Fisher C, Rumsey F (2014) The Identification & Advisory Service Natural History Museum, UK. Presented at Palaeontological Association Meeting, Leeds.
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE (2014) The British Devonian Crinoidea. Part 1. Introduction and Camerata. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society, London. Donovan, S.K. & Fearnhead, F.E. 2014. The British Devonian Crinoidea. Part 1, introduction and Camerata. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society, 168 (643): 1-55+i-viii, 15 pls.. Palaeontological Society, 1 - 55.
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK (2014) Bits and pieces: fossil crinoids from the Devonian of Lynton, north Devon.
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE (2014) The nature of Trace fossils. 38 - 43.
Fearnhead FE (2014) British Fossils, the value of the amateur collector. 20 - 23.
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK (2013) A dearth of diplobathrids (Crinoidea) from the type Devonian, south-west England..
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE (2015) Exceptional fidelity of preservation in a reworked fossil, Chalk drift, South London, England. Geological Journal, 50 (1) : 104 - 106. doi: 10.1002/gj.2539
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK, Ewin TAM (2013) Palaeobiology of Floricolumnus (col.) girvanensis Donovan & Clark (Crinoidea; Silurian) from the Girvan district, Ayrshire. Scottish Journal of Geology, 49 (1) : 1 - 7. doi: 10.1144/sjg2012-447
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK (2012) Two Wenlock crinoids, one registration number and a monograph: a tale.. Proceedings of the Shropshire Geological Society, 17 : 4 - 6.
Widdison RE, Donovan SK, Lewis DN, Fearnhead FE (2012) The British Silurian Crinoidea. Part 3. Addendum to Parts 1 and 2, Camerata and columnals. Monographs of the Palaeontographical Society, London.. Palaeontographical Society, 166 (638) : 135 - 259.
Donovan SK, Lewis DN, Fearnhead FE (2012) Crinoid localities of the Silurian of the British Isles. Geology Today, 28 (6) : 230 - 237. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2451.2012.00856.x
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE, Clarkson ENK, Donovan M (2011) ASPECTS OF CRINOID PALAEONTOLOGY OF THE NORTH ESK INLIER, SCOTLAND (SILURIAN, LLANDOVERY, TELYCHIAN). PALAEONTOLOGY, 54 : 241 - 252. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00982.x
Donovan SK, Widdison RE, LEWIS DN, Fearnhead FE (2010) The British Silurian Crinoidea. Part 2, Addendum to Part 1 and Cladida Part 2. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society, 164 : 47 - 133.
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE (2009) The ichnofossils Gordia Emmons and Chondrites von Sternberg from the Deerhope Formation, North Esk Inlier (Silurian, Llandovery).. Scottish Journal of Geology, 45 : 83 - 83-87..
Donovan SK, LEWIS DN, Fearnhead FE, Widdison RE (2009) The British Silurian Crinoidea. Part 1. Introduction and Disparida. : London. 1 - 45.
Donovan SK, Lewis DN, Fearnhead FE, Widdison RE (2008) Ever since Ramsbottom: Silurian crinoids of the British Isles since 1954, In: Echinoderm Paleobiology, Ausich WI, Webster, GD (Eds). Indiana University Press, Bloomington. : Bloomington.. 330 - 345.
Fearnhead FE (2008) Towards a systematic standard approach to describing fossil crinoids, illustrated by the redescription of a Scottish Silurian Pisocrinus de Koninck. Scripta Geologica, 136 : 39 - 61.
Fearnhead FE (2007) Star gazing. Presented at Fearnhead, F.E. & Donovan, S.K.. 2007. Star gazing. Palaeontological Association Newsletter (supplement), 66: 71. [Poster.]..
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK (2007) A cladid crinoid (Echinodermata) from the Llandovery (Lower Silurian) of the Girvan district, SW Scotland. Scottish Journal of Geology, 43 (1) : 79 - 82. doi: 10.1144/sjg43010079
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE, Underwood CJ (2007) Recent borings in limestone cobbles from Marloes Bay, southwest Wales.. Lethaia, 40 : 233 - 236..
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK (2007) New crinoids (echinodermata) from the Llandovery (Lower silurian) of the British Isles. PALAEONTOLOGY, 50 : 905 - 915. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00681.x
Donovan SK, Fearnhead FE, LEWIS DN (2007) 15. Crinoids, In: Silurian Fossils of the Pentland Hills, Scotland, Clarkson ENK, Harper DAT, Taylor CM, Anderson LI (Eds). The Palaeontological Association : London. 172 - 180.
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK (2007) A robust crinoid from the Llandovery (Lower Silurian) of Norbury, Shropshire: systematics, palaeoecology and taphonomy. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 118 (4) : 339 - 345. doi: 10.1016/S0016-7878(07)80002-2
Fearnhead FE, Donovan SK (2005) New and ‘forgotten’ crinoids from the Llandovery (early Silurian) of the British Isles..
Donovan SK, Lewis DN, Fearnhead FE, Widdison RE (2005) Ever since Ramsbottom: Silurian crinoids of the British Isles since 1954.. Presented at Geological Society of America.
Fearnhead FE (2005) Tales of the unpublished: ‘new’ crinoids from the Llandovery of Britain.. Presented at Geological Society of America.
Courses taught
First year: Palaeontology
10/2009 - 1/2025.
Third year: Palaeoecology
10/2009 - 1/2025.