Associate Professor Steven Salisbury
Associate Professor

Steven Salisbury

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Phone: 
+61 7 336 58548

Background

Dr Steve Salisbury is an Associate Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Queensland, where he is head of the UQ Dinosaur Lab and Chair of First Nations Engagement. He is also Research Associate at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Associate Editor for the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, and a Scientific Board member of the Jurassic Foundation.

Steve studied biology and geology at the University of Sydney, receiving the Edgeworth David Award for Palaeontology in 1993. He then moved to the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he completed his Honours thesis on fossil crocodilians from Murgon, south-eastern Queensland. Continuing at the UNSW, Steve travelled to Germany and the UK to complete a PhD on crocodilian locomotor evolution. He returned to Australia in 2000 to pursue a life-long dream of searching for Australian dinosaurs, and joined The University of Queensland in 2003 as a Postdoctoral Fellow.

Steve's research focuses on the evolution of Gondwanan continental vertebrates, in particular dinosaurs and crocodilians. He is also interested in vertebrate biomechanics and using extant animals to better understand the anatomy, behaviour and evolution of extinct ones. His field-based research takes him to various parts of Queensland, the Kimberley, New Zealand and Antarctica.

Availability

Associate Professor Steven Salisbury is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Biological Sciences Geology

Research interests

  • Dinosaurs

    Australasian Cretaceous dinosaur faunas; evolution of Australasian ornithopods, thyreophorans, sauropods and theropods; Gondwanan dinosaur palaeobiogeography; dinosaur trackways

  • Crocodiles

    evolution of Australasian crocodilians; origin of modern crocodilians; crocodilian locomotor evolution; crocodilian lung ventilation; crocodilian growth dynamics

  • Biomechanics

    locomotor evolution of dinosaurs and crocodilians; vertebral bracing in archosaurs; feeding behaviour in crocodilians

  • Other research interests

    evolution of Australian Cretaceous fishes; evolution of Australian pterosaurs; geology and taphonomy of Australian Cretaceous dinosaur localities; palaeopathology in fossil archosaurs

  • Cultural Heritage

    First Nations cultural heritage, Traditional Knowledge, ethnography,

Research impacts

The results of Steve's research have been widely covered in the media, and he provides regular commentary on palaeontological research via the Australian Science Media Centre. His research has been the impetus for the establishment of a $1.5 million interpretive centre in the outback town of Isisford, central-western Queensland, and recently helped to secure National Heritage Listing of dinosaur tracks on the Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome, which subsequently contributed to the collapse of a $40+ billion LNG development.

Steve's honours include the Rea Postdoctoral Fellowship (2007-2009, Carnegie Museum of Natural History), an Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (Industry) (2003-2006, The University of Queensland), an Australian Postgraduate Award (1995-1998, University of NSW), a Postgraduate Research Scholarship (1996-1998, German Academic Exchange Service) and The Banks Alecto Fellowship (1996-1997, The Royal Society, London). He has also received research funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the Australian Geographic Society, the Linnean Society of NSW, Isisford Shire Council, Longreach Regional Council, Winton Sire Council, Queensland Museum, The Western Australian Greens, The Wilderness Society and Land Rover Australia.

Search Professor Steven Salisbury’s works on UQ eSpace

112 works between 1996 and 2024
All (112) Journal Article (72) Book Chapter (5) Conference Publication (31) Other Outputs (4)

41 - 60 of 112 works

2016

Conference Publication

Palaeoenvironmental setting of non-avian dinosaur tracks in the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of Reddell Beach, Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia

Gray, S., Romilio, A., Hacker, J., Chamberlain, P. and Salisbury, S. W. (2016). Palaeoenvironmental setting of non-avian dinosaur tracks in the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of Reddell Beach, Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia. Palaeo Down Under 2, Adelaide, Australia, July 2016. Sydney, Australia: Geological Society of Australia.

Palaeoenvironmental setting of non-avian dinosaur tracks in the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of Reddell Beach, Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia

2015

Journal Article

Cranial osteology of the ankylosaurian dinosaur formerly known as Minmi sp (Ornithischia: Thyreophora) from the Lower Cretaceous Allaru Mudstone of Richmond, Queensland, Australia

Leahey, Lucy G., Molnar, Ralph E., Carpenter, Kenneth, Witmer, Lawrence M. and Salisbury, Steven W. (2015). Cranial osteology of the ankylosaurian dinosaur formerly known as Minmi sp (Ornithischia: Thyreophora) from the Lower Cretaceous Allaru Mudstone of Richmond, Queensland, Australia. PeerJ, 3 (e1475) e1475, 1-47. doi: 10.7717/peerj.1475

Cranial osteology of the ankylosaurian dinosaur formerly known as Minmi sp (Ornithischia: Thyreophora) from the Lower Cretaceous Allaru Mudstone of Richmond, Queensland, Australia

2015

Journal Article

Miocene fossils reveal ancient roots for New Zealand's endemic Mystacina (Chiroptera) and its rainforest habitat

Hand, Suzanne J., Lee, Daphne E., Worthy, Trevor H., Archer, Michael, Worthy, Jennifer P., Tennyson, Alan J. D., Salisbury, Steven W., Scofield, R. Paul, Mildenhall, Dallas C., Kennedy, Elizabeth M. and Lindqvist, Jon K. (2015). Miocene fossils reveal ancient roots for New Zealand's endemic Mystacina (Chiroptera) and its rainforest habitat. PLoS One, 10 (6) e0128871, 1-19. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128871

Miocene fossils reveal ancient roots for New Zealand's endemic Mystacina (Chiroptera) and its rainforest habitat

2015

Journal Article

Wood growth indices as climate indicators from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Australia

Fletcher, Tamara L., Moss, Patrick T. and Salisbury, Steven W. (2015). Wood growth indices as climate indicators from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Australia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 417, 35-43. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.10.012

Wood growth indices as climate indicators from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Australia

2014

Journal Article

Feeding across the food web: The interaction between diet, movement and body size in estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus)

Hanson, Jeffrey O., Salisbury, Steven W., Campbell, Hamish A., Dwyer, Ross G., Jardine, Timothy D. and Franklin, Craig E. (2014). Feeding across the food web: The interaction between diet, movement and body size in estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus). Austral Ecology, 40 (3), 275-286. doi: 10.1111/aec.12212

Feeding across the food web: The interaction between diet, movement and body size in estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus)

2014

Journal Article

Patterns of aquatic decay and disarticulation in juvenile Indo-Pacific crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), and implications for the taphonomic interpretation of fossil crocodyliform material

Syme, Caitlin E. and Salisbury, Steven W. (2014). Patterns of aquatic decay and disarticulation in juvenile Indo-Pacific crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), and implications for the taphonomic interpretation of fossil crocodyliform material. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 412, 108-123. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.07.031

Patterns of aquatic decay and disarticulation in juvenile Indo-Pacific crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), and implications for the taphonomic interpretation of fossil crocodyliform material

2014

Journal Article

Large dinosaurian tracks from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Lark Quarry, central-western Queensland, Australia: 3D photogrammetric analysis renders the 'stampede trigger' scenario unlikely

Romilio, Anthony and Salisbury, Steven W. (2014). Large dinosaurian tracks from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Lark Quarry, central-western Queensland, Australia: 3D photogrammetric analysis renders the 'stampede trigger' scenario unlikely. Cretaceous Research, 51, 186-207. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2014.06.003

Large dinosaurian tracks from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Lark Quarry, central-western Queensland, Australia: 3D photogrammetric analysis renders the 'stampede trigger' scenario unlikely

2014

Journal Article

A new species of Protophyllocladoxylon from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, Australia

Fletcher, Tamara L., Cantrill, David J., Moss, Patrick T. and Salisbury, Steven W. (2014). A new species of Protophyllocladoxylon from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, Australia. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 208, 43-49. doi: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2014.05.004

A new species of Protophyllocladoxylon from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, Australia

2014

Other Outputs

No dinosaur stampede at Lark Quarry – so what really happened?

Salisbury, Steven and Romilio, Anthony (2014, 07 15). No dinosaur stampede at Lark Quarry – so what really happened? The Conversation

No dinosaur stampede at Lark Quarry – so what really happened?

2014

Journal Article

Aquatic locomotor kinematics of the Eastern Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii)

Ringma, Jeremy L. and Salisbury, Steven W. (2014). Aquatic locomotor kinematics of the Eastern Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii). Journal of Herpetology, 48 (2), 240-248. doi: 10.1670/12-041

Aquatic locomotor kinematics of the Eastern Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii)

2014

Journal Article

Probable oribatid mite (Acari: Oribatida) tunnels and faecal pellets in silicified conifer wood from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, Australia

Fletcher, Tamara L. and Salisbury, Steven W. (2014). Probable oribatid mite (Acari: Oribatida) tunnels and faecal pellets in silicified conifer wood from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, Australia. Alcheringa, 38 (4), 541-545. doi: 10.1080/03115518.2014.912557

Probable oribatid mite (Acari: Oribatida) tunnels and faecal pellets in silicified conifer wood from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, Australia

2014

Journal Article

Foliar physiognomic climate estimates for the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) Lark Quarry fossil flora, central-western Queensland, Australia

Fletcher, Tamara L., Moss, Patrick T. and Salisbury, Stephen W. (2014). Foliar physiognomic climate estimates for the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) Lark Quarry fossil flora, central-western Queensland, Australia. Australian Journal of Botany, 61 (8), 575-582. doi: 10.1071/BT13197

Foliar physiognomic climate estimates for the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) Lark Quarry fossil flora, central-western Queensland, Australia

2014

Journal Article

Paleoclimate of the late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Central-Western Queensland, Australia: new observations based on clamp and bioclimatic analysis

Fletcher, Tamara, Greenwood, David R., Moss, Patrick T. and Salisbury, Steven W. (2014). Paleoclimate of the late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Central-Western Queensland, Australia: new observations based on clamp and bioclimatic analysis. Palaios, 29 (3), 121-128. doi: 10.2110/palo.2013.080

Paleoclimate of the late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Central-Western Queensland, Australia: new observations based on clamp and bioclimatic analysis

2014

Conference Publication

Ichnological evidence for diverse pedal postures in ornithopodan dinosaurs

Romilio, Anthony and Salisbury, Steven (2014). Ichnological evidence for diverse pedal postures in ornithopodan dinosaurs. The 74th Annual Meeting of Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) conference, Berlin, Germany, 5–8 November 2014. doi: 10.13140/2.1.1953.2485

Ichnological evidence for diverse pedal postures in ornithopodan dinosaurs

2013

Journal Article

Gross morphology and microstructure of type locality ossicles of Psephophorus polygonus Meyer, 1847 (Testudines, Dermochelyidae)

Delfino, Massimo, Scheyer, Torsten M., Chesi, Francesco, Fletcher, Tamara, Gemel, Richard, MacDonald, Stewart, Rabi, Márton and Salisbury, Steven W. (2013). Gross morphology and microstructure of type locality ossicles of Psephophorus polygonus Meyer, 1847 (Testudines, Dermochelyidae). Geological Magazine, 150 (5), 767-782. doi: 10.1017/S001675681200091X

Gross morphology and microstructure of type locality ossicles of Psephophorus polygonus Meyer, 1847 (Testudines, Dermochelyidae)

2013

Journal Article

First record of the ichthyodectiform fish Cladocyclus from eastern Gondwana: an articulated skeleton from the Early Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia

Berrell, Rodney W., Alvarado-Ortega, Jesús, Yabumoto, Yoshitaka and Salisbury, Steven W. (2013). First record of the ichthyodectiform fish Cladocyclus from eastern Gondwana: an articulated skeleton from the Early Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 59 (4), 903-920. doi: 10.4202/app.2012.0019

First record of the ichthyodectiform fish Cladocyclus from eastern Gondwana: an articulated skeleton from the Early Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia

2013

Conference Publication

Three-dimensional analysis of the largest tracks from the Lark Quarry dinosaur tracksite, central-western Queensland

Romilio, A. and Salisbury, S. W. (2013). Three-dimensional analysis of the largest tracks from the Lark Quarry dinosaur tracksite, central-western Queensland. CAVEPS Flinders University, Adelaide 2013, 14th Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics, Adelaide, Australia, 30 September - 4 October 2013. Adelaide, Australia: Flinders University.

Three-dimensional analysis of the largest tracks from the Lark Quarry dinosaur tracksite, central-western Queensland

2013

Conference Publication

Miocene fossils show that kiwi (Apteryx, Apterygidae) are probably not phyletic dwarves

Worthy, Trevor H., Worthy, Jennifer P., Tennyson, Alan J. D., Salisbury, Steven W., Hand, Suzanne J. and Scofield, R. Paul (2013). Miocene fossils show that kiwi (Apteryx, Apterygidae) are probably not phyletic dwarves. 8th International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution, Vienna, Austria, 11-16 June, 2012. Wien, Österreich: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien.

Miocene fossils show that kiwi (Apteryx, Apterygidae) are probably not phyletic dwarves

2013

Conference Publication

Dinosaur tracks from the Walmadany area (James Price Point), Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia

Salisbury, Steven W., Romilio, Anthony, Herne, Matthew C., Tucker, Ryan T. and Nair, Jay P. (2013). Dinosaur tracks from the Walmadany area (James Price Point), Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia. 14th Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 30 September - 4 October 2013. Adelaide South Australia: Flinders University.

Dinosaur tracks from the Walmadany area (James Price Point), Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia

2012

Journal Article

New anatomical information on Rhoetosaurus Brownei Longman, 1926, a Gravisaurian Sauropodomorph Dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Queensland, Australia

Nair, Jay P. and Salisbury, Steven W. (2012). New anatomical information on Rhoetosaurus Brownei Longman, 1926, a Gravisaurian Sauropodomorph Dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Queensland, Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 32 (2), 369-394. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2012.622324

New anatomical information on Rhoetosaurus Brownei Longman, 1926, a Gravisaurian Sauropodomorph Dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Queensland, Australia

Past funding

  • 2014 - 2017
    Walking with dinosaurs in the Kimberley: mapping the Cretaceous landscapes of the Dampier Peninsula
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2015
    Determining the relative roles of dispersal and vicariance in the assembly of the New Zealand Fauna (ARC Discovery Project Administered by Flinders University)
    Flinders University
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2023
    Small vertebrates from the Albian-Cenomanian of Queensland - testing hypotheses of provincialism among Australia's mid-Cretaceous dinosaur faunas
    Isisford Shire Council
    Open grant
  • 2010
    Establishment of a digital Scanscope system for virtual microscopy
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2011
    Small vertebrates from the Albian-Cenomanian of Queensland - testing hypotheses of provincialism among Australia's mid-Cretaceous dinosaur faunas
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    Dinosaurs of Bladensburg National Park, central-western Queensland
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2006
    Replication of a fossil fish specimen from Isisford, central-western Queensland
    Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History Japan
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2004
    The Isisford dinosaur fauna
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2006
    Life and environments of the Lower Cretaceous Winton Formation, western Queensland: The Winton Dinosaur Project
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor Steven Salisbury is:
Available for supervision

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Available projects

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Distribution, abundance, and palaeoecological insights into theropod tracks of the Broome Sandstone, Western Australia

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    New insights into the preservation of the Cretaceous vertebrate fauna of the Eromanga Basin in Central West Queensland

    Principal Advisor

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Associate Professor Steven Salisbury directly for media enquiries about:

  • Archosaurs
  • Australian dinosaurs
  • Biomechanics and dinosaurs
  • Crocodiles - palaeontology
  • Crocodilian fossils
  • Dinosaurs
  • Evolution
  • Fossil crocodilians
  • Fossils in Queensland
  • Functional morphology
  • Palaeontology
  • Queensland fossils
  • Systematics - palaeontology
  • Vertebrate palaeontology

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