Dr Toni Williamson

Field Scientist

Dr Williamson has a PhD (Geology) from James Cook University, Australia, based on her thesis entitled “Systematics and biostratigraphy of Australian belemnites with contributions to the timescale and palaeoenvironmental assessment of the Australian Cretaceous System derived from stable isotope proxies." In this complex study of Cretaceous climate change and palaeooceanography she identified and taxonomically described for the first time 1 new genus and 6 new species of Cretaceous Mollusca (comparable to the modern squid). Outcomes to the research also included redefinition of the global timescale for the Early Cretaceous and reconstruction of the palaeotemperature curve for the Early Cretaceous Austral Realm. Dr Williamson has worked as a biostratigrapher/palaeotnologist at Primary Industry and Resources of South Australia (PIRSA), and completed a bachelor of Science Degree with Honours majoring in Geology at Adelaide University, South Australia. She has also worked as a geologist in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia and in Canada, where she now resides.