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College of Science and Mathematics

Robert G. Dundas

Professor

Earth and Environmental Sciences | 559-278-6984 | Office: S2 122 | Fall 2024 Office Hours - W: 10:00am-10:50am (In-Person); Th: 9:30am-11:30am (In-Person)

rdundas@csufresno.edu

Education

B.A., Geology, University of Montana
C. Phil., Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D., Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley

Courses Taught

  • Honor 103
  • EES 1
  • EES 104
  • EES 104W
  • EES 107
  • EES 110
  • EES 112
  • EES 122
  • EES 155
  • EES 168
  • EES 201
  • EES 250T
  • NSCI 1B
Dr. Dundas is a vertebrate paleontologist who specializes in the study of Quaternary mammals, including faunal analysis, paleoecology, biogeography, biostratrigraphy and extinction.  He continues to document the middle Pleistocene biota from Fairmead Landfill in Madera County, California, which is among the largest Irvingtonian age fossil discoveries in North America. The results of those efforts and other research projects can be found in the selected publications list below.

Dr. Dundas' research interests are not limited to Quaternary vertebrates.  Another research program underway is an investigation of the late Cretaceous - early Tertiary Moreno Formation vertebrate fauna, in particular examining taphonomic conditions, stratigraphic positions of specimens and their Rare Earth Element (REE) signatures.  Preserved in the Panoche and Tumey Hills of central California, west of Interstate 5, is a wealth of marine fossils, particularly mosasaurs and plesiosaurs.  Of the few dinosaur fossils found in California, most are from the Moreno Formation.

Dr. Dundas teaches a wide range of courses, including Scientific Writing and Research Techniques (EES 104), Advanced Field Methods (EES 107), Invertebrate Paleontology (EES 110), Stratigraphy (EES 122), Planet Earth Through Time (EES 112), California Earth Systems (EES 168), Dinosaurs (EES 150T), Planetary Geology (EES 150T and 250T), Natural Disasters & Earth Resources (EES 1), Science & Nonsense (Nat Sci 4), Introductory Earth & Life Science (Nat Sci 1B), Nature of Science (Biol 106), and Human Ecology (Biol 110). Also, he has taught Ecological & Social Effects of the Industrial Revolution on the Third World (Honors 103) for the Smittcamp Family Honors College.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Underlined names are student co-authors.

Polly, P. David, Jesualdo Fuentes-Gonzalez, A. Michelle Lawing, Allison K. Bormet and Robert G. Dundas(2017) Clade sorting has a greater effect than local adaptation on ecometric patterns in Carnivora.  Evolutionary Ecology Research, v.18, pp.61-95.

Hartstone-Rose, Adam, Robert G. Dundas, Bryttin Boyde, Ryan C. Long, Aisling B. Farrell, and Christopher A. Shaw (2015) The Bacula of Rancho La Brea. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series, n.42, pp.53-63.

Trayler,Robin B., Robert G. Dundas, Kena Fox-Dobbs and Peter K. Van De Water (2015) New Stable Isotope Records From California Megafauna – Insights Into Pleistocene Paleoecology and Paleoenvironmental Conditions.  Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v.437, pp.132-140.

Fox-Dobbs, Kena, Robert G. Dundas, Robin B. Trayler and Patricia A. Holroyd (2014) Paleoecological implications of new megafaunal 14C dates from the McKittrick tar seeps, California.  Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v.34, n.1, pp.220-223.  DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2013.791694

Dundas, Robert G. and James C. Chatters (2013) The mid-Irvingtonian Fairmead Landfill fossil site, Madera County Paleontology Collection, and Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County, California, in Putirka, K., ed., Geologic Excursions from Fresno, California, and the Central Valley:  A Tour of California’s Iconic Geology.  The Geological Society of America, Field Guide 32, pp.1-16.

McDonald, H. Gregory, Robert G. Dundas, and James C. Chatters (2013) Taxonomy, paleoecology and taphonomy of ground sloths (Xenarthra) from the Fairmead Landfill locality (Pleistocene: Irvingtonian) of Madera County, California.  Quaternary Research, v.79, n.2, pp.215-227.

Trayler, Robin B. and Robert G. Dundas (2009) American Mastodon (Mammut americanum) in the Rancho La Brea Collection of the University of California Museum of Paleontology. Current Research in the Pleistocene, v.26, pp.184-186.

Dundas, Robert G., Yesenia Ibarra, Frederika J. M. Harmsen and Peter K. Van de Water (2009) Bison cf. B. latifrons from the Late Pleistocene Broach Locality, Fresno, California.  Current Research in the Pleistocene, v.26, pp.149-151.

Dundas, Robert G. (2005) The Late Pleistocene Vertebrate Faunapp.79-90 in The Merrell Locality & Centennial Valley, Southwest Montana, Pleistocene Geology, Paleontology & Prehistoric Archaeology (Hill, Christopher and Davis, Leslie B., eds.), Bureau of Land Management Cultural Resources Series No.4, Montana State Office.

Dundas, Robert G. (2005) Heron Lumber Company, Flathead Indian Reservation Logging Operations 1917-1930.  Tall Timber Short Lines, n.79, pp.12-28.

Dundas, Robert G. (2003) The Lumberman’s Library, An account of the ACM’s rolling reading room.  Tall Timber Short Lines, n.73, pp.30-36.

O'Gara, Bart W. and Robert G. Dundas (2002) Chapter 2.  Distribution: Past and Present pp.67-119 in North American Elk:  Ecology and Management (Dale E. Toweill & Jack Ward Thomas, eds.), Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.

Bartholomew, Mervin J., Michael C. Stickney, Edith M. Wilde, and Robert G. Dundas.  (2002) Late Quaternary paleoseismites:  Syndepositional features and section restoration used to indicate paleoseismicity and stress-field orientations during faulting along the main Lima Reservoir fault, southwestern Montana pp.29-47 in Ancient Seismites (Ettensohn, F.R., Rast, N., and Brett, C.E., eds.), Geological Society of America, Special Paper 359, pp.29-47.

Dundas, Robert G. (1999) Quaternary records of the dire wolf, Canis dirus, in North and South America.  Boreas, v.28, n.3, pp.375-385.

Davis, Leslie B., Christopher L. Hill, John P. Albanese, Robert G. Dundas, David C. Batten, Kenneth W. Karsmizki, John Weymouth, J. K. Huber, Dale P. Herbort, and Susan C. Mulholland (1997)  Geoarchaeological and Paleontological Assessment of the Merrell Locality (24BE1659), Centennial Valley, Southwest Montana.  Technical Report to the Dillon Resource Office, Butte District, Bureau of Land Management.

Dundas, Robert G. (1997) The Ground Sloth Nothrotheriops.  (SJVPF) PaleoNews, Fall 1997, pp.4-7.

Dundas, Robert G., Christopher L. Hill, and David C. Batten (1996) Late Pleistocene Fauna from the Merrell Locality, Centennial Valley, Montana:  Summary of the Vertebrate Remains from the 1994 and 1995 Excavations.  Current Research in the Pleistocene, v.13, pp.103-105.

Dundas, Robert G., Randall B. Smith, and Kenneth L. Verosub (1996) Fairmead Landfill Locality (Pleistocene, Irvingtonian), Madera County, California:  Preliminary Report and Significance.  Pages 50-58 in The Uses of Vertebrate Fossils in Biostratigraphic correlation (C. J. Bell and S. S. Sumida, eds.), PaleoBios, v.17, n.2-4.

Bell, Christopher J. and Robert G. Dundas (1993) Fossil lizards from Rancho La Brea in the collections of the University of California Museum of Paleontology.  Pages 1417 in New Additions to the Pleistocene Vertebrate Record of California (R. G. Dundas and D. J. Long, eds.), PaleoBios, v.15, n.2.

Dundas, Robert G. and Laura M. Cunningham (1993) Harlan's Ground Sloth (Glossotherium harlani) and Columbian Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) from Stevenson Bridge, Yolo County, California.  Pages 4762 in New Additions to the Pleistocene Vertebrate Record of California (R. G. Dundas and D. J. Long, eds.), PaleoBios, v.15, n.3.

Dundas, Robert G. and Douglas J. Long (editors) (1993) New Additions to the Pleistocene Vertebrate Record of California.  PaleoBios, v.15, n.14, 80p.

Dundas, Robert G. (1992) A Scimitar Cat (Homotherium serum) From the Late Pleistocene Merrell Locality, Southwestern Montana.  PaleoBios, v.14, n.1, pp.912.

Dundas, Robert G. (1992) A Late Pleistocene Occurrence of Equus and Camelops hesternus From the Flint Creek Area, Western Montana.  PaleoBios, v.13, n.51, pp.711.

Dundas, Robert G. (1990) Paleontology and Geology of the Late Pleistocene Hoover Creek Terrace, Granite and Powell Counties, Montana.  Northwest Geology, v.19, pp.3137.