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College of Letters and Science >
Department of Earth Sciences >
Faculty and Staff
David J. Varricchio
Assistant Professor of Paleontology
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Contact Information
Office: Traphagen Hall #211
Phone: (406) 994-6907
Email: djv(AT)montana.edu
Education
B.S., Cornell University, 1984
M.S., University of Georgia, 1989
Ph.D., Montana State University, 1995
Paleontology Website
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Dr. Varricchio featured in MSU University News
(PDF)
Interview with Dr. Varricchio about his research
Research Interests
My research focuses on the biology of dinosaurs and largely involves
theropods (the group of primarily carnivorous dinosaurs that includes
birds) from the Cretaceous of Montana and abroad (China, Africa,
Argentina). Where possible, I try to blend anatomic and geologic data
within a broader evolutionary context. Currently, I have three main
areas of research: taphonomic studies, the dinosaur Troodon, and
dinosaur reproduction, particularly the theropod-bird lineage. Ongoing
taphonomic studies include 1) the description of a novel ornithomimid
bonebed from Inner Mongolia with Paul Sereno (U. Chicago); 2) a study
of small theropod taphonomy in the Two Medicine Formation of Montana;
and 3), as part of a team of researchers, the re-evaluation of a
Maiasaura bonebed using detailed palynologic and geochemical sampling.
Several Troodon-related projects continue in an attempt to formulate as
complete a picture of a single dinosaur species as possible. Having
finished work on Troodon nests, eggs, and embryos, in progress work on
this dinosaur includes ontogenetic and osteologic description,
re-examination of growth using bone histology with Greg Erickson
(Florida State U.), and the documentation of pathologies with Rebecca
Hanna (Choteau, MT). The last project still in its incipient stage
entails the documentation of reproductive features within the
theropod-bird lineage and across the K/T boundary.
Current Graduate Students
Thomas
Evans
Michael
Knell
Ashley
Poust
Josef
Stiegler
Josh Bonde
(M.S. 2008)
Frankie
Jackson (Ph.D. 2007)
Robert
Kambic (M.S. 2008)
Ben
Scherzer (M.S. 2008)
Ewan Wolff
(Ph.D. 2007)
Selected Publications
Varricchio, D.J., Raven, R.F., Wolbach, W., Elsik, W.C., and Witzke,
B.J. 2009. Soot and Palynologic
Analysis of Manson Impact-Related Strata (Upper Cretaceous) of Iowa and
South Dakota, USA. Cretaceous Research 30:127-134.
Varricchio, D.J., Moore, J.R., Erickson, G.M., Norell, M.A., Jackson,
F.D., Borkowski, J.J. 2008. Avian
paternal care had dinosaur origin. Science
322:1826-1828. Abstract
Varricchio, D.J., Sereno, P.C., Zhao, X., Tan. L., Wilson, J.A., and
Lyon, G.H. 2008. Mud-Trapped
Herd Captures Evidence of Distinctive Dinosaur Sociality.
Acta Paleontologica Polonica 53(4):567-578.
Weishampel, D.B., Fastovskyy. D.E., Watabe, M., Varricchio, D.J.,
Jackson, F., Tsogtbaatar, K., and Barsbold, R. 2008. New
oviraptorid embryos from Bugin-Tsav, Nemegt Formation (Upper
Cretaceous), Mongolia with insights into their habitat and
growth. Jornal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28:1110-1119.
Sereno, P.C., Martinez, R.N., Wilson, J.A., Varricchio, D.J., Alcober,
O.A., and Larsson, H.C.E. 2008. Evidence
for avian intrathoracic air sacs in a new predatory dinosaur from
Argentina. PLoS ONE
3(9):e3303. doi:10.1371/jounal.pone.0003303
Jackson, F.D., Jin, X., Varricchio, D.J., Azuma, Y., and Jiang,
Y. 2008. The first in situ
turtle clutch from the Vretaceous Tiantai Basin, Zhejiang Province,
China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28:319-325.
Jackson, F.D., Varricchio, D.J., Jackson, R., Vila, B., and Chiappe,
L. 2008. Water vapor
conductance of a titanosaur egg (Megaloolithus
patagonicus) from Argentina: comparison with a Megaloolithus siruguei egg from
Spain. Paleobiology 34:229-246.
Bonde, J.W., Varricchio, D.J., Jackson, F.D., Loope, D.B., and Shirk,
A.M. 2008. Dinosaurs and dunes!
Sedimentology and paleontology of the Mesozoic in the Valley of Fire
State Park.
Huang, T.D., Varrichhio, D.J., Ji, X., Lee, T., and Sommerlade,
E. 2007. A simple
and quick non-contact method to digitize three-dimensional fossils for
paleontological and archaeological applications. Yunnan
Geology 26(4):373-386.
Erickson, G.M., Curry Rogers, K., Varricchio, D.J., Norell, M.A., and
Xu. X. 2007. Growth patterns in brooding dinosaurs reveals
the timing of sexual maturity in non-avian dinosaurs and genesis of the
avian condition. Biology Letters 3:558-561.
Varricchio, D.J., Martin, A., and Katsura, Y. 2007. First trace and body fossil evidence
of a burrowing, denning dinosaur. Proceedings Royal Society,
B 274:1361-1368.
Jin, X., Azuma, Y., Jackson, F., and Varricchio, D.J. 2007.
Giant dinosaur eggs from the Tiantai basin, Zhejiang Province,
China. Canadian Jornal of Earth Sciences 44:81-88.
Varricchio, D. J. 2005. Bringing up baby. Natural History 114
(4):30-32, 67.
Varricchio, D.J. and Jackson, F. D. 2005
(2003). Origins of avian reproduction: answers and questions from
dinosaurs. Palaeovertebrata 32(2-4):149-170.
Varricchio, D.J. and Jackson, F. 2004.
Cladistic analysis of eggshell characters: a phylogenic assessment of
prismatic dinosaur eggs from the Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of
Montana. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24:931-937.
Meng, Q., Liu, J., Varricchio, D. J., Huang,
T., and Gao, C. 2004. Parental care in an ornithischian dinosaur.
Nature 431:145-146.
Varricchio, D. J. and Jackson, F. 2004. Two
eggs sunny-side up: reproductive physiology in the dinosaur Troodon
formosus. pp. 215-233. In P. J. Currie, E. B. Koppelhus, M. A. Shugar,
and J. L. Wright (eds.), Feathered Dragons: Studies on the Transition
from Dinosaurs to Birds, Indiana University Press.
Currie, P. J. and Varricchio, D. J. 2004. A
new dromaeosaurid from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Upper
Cretaceous) of Alberta, Canada, pp. 112-132. In P. J. Currie, E. B.
Koppelhus, M. A. Shugar, and J. L. Wright (eds.), Feathered Dragons:
Studies on the Transition from Dinosaurs to Birds, Indiana University
Press.
Jackson, F. and Varricchio, D.J. 2003.
Abnormal, multilayered eggshell in birds: implications for dinosaur
reproductive anatomy? Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 23:699-702.
Varricchio, D. J., Horner, J. R., and
Jackson, F. 2002. Embryos and eggs for the Cretaceous theropod dinosaur
Troodon formosus. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22:564-576.
Varricchio, D. J. 2002. A new bird from the
Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana. Canadian Journal of
Earth Sciences 39:19-26.
Varricchio, D. J. 2001. Gut contents for a
Cretaceous tyrannosaur: implications for theropod dinosaur digestive
tracts. Journal of Paleontology 75(2):401-406.
Varricchio, D. J. 2001. Late Cretaceous
Oviraptorosaur (Theropoda) Dinosaurs of Montana, pp. 42- 57. In D.
Tanke and K. Carpenter (eds). Mesozoic Vertebrate Life. Indiana
University Press.
Varricchio, D.J. 2000. Reproduction and
Parenting, pp. 279-293. In G. Paul (ed.), The Scientific American Book
of Dinosaurs. St. Martin’s Press, New York.
Varricchio, D. J., Jackson, F. and Trueman,
C. N. 1999. A nesting trace with eggs for the Cretaceous theropod
dinosaur Troodon formosus. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
19(1):91-100.
Sereno, P. C., Beck, A. L., Dutheil, D. B.,
Gado, B., Larsson, H. C. E., Lyon, G. H., Marcot, J. D., Rauhut, O.
W.M., Sadlier, R. W., Sidor, C. A., Varricchio, D. J., Wilson, G. P.
and Wilson, J. A. 1998. A long-snouted predatory dinosaur from Africa
and the Evolution of Spinosaurids. Science 282 (5392):1298-1302.
Varricchio, D. J., Jackson, F., Borkowski,
J. and Horner, J. R. 1997. Nest and egg clutches of the dinosaur
Troodon formosus and the evolution of avian reproductive traits. Nature
385:247-250.
Varricchio, D.J. 1997. Troodontidae,
pp.749-754. In: P.J. Currie and K. Padian (eds.), Encyclopedia of
Dinosaurs. Academic Press, San Diego.
Varricchio, D. J. 1995. Taphonomy of Jack's
Birthday Site, a diverse dinosaur bone bed from the Upper Cretaceous
Two Medicine Formation of Montana. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology,
Palaeoecology 114:297-323.
Varricchio, D. J. 1993. Bone microstructure
of the Upper Cretaceous theropod dinosaur Troodon formosus. Journal of
Vertebrate Paleontology 13(1):99-104.
Varricchio, D. J. and Horner, J. R. 1993.
Hadrosaurid and lambeosaurid bone beds from the Upper Cretaceous Two
Medicine Formation of Montana: Taphonomic and biological implications.
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 30:997-1006.
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