Derek E.G. Briggs

Briggs is the leading global expert on the preservation and evolutionary significance of exceptionally preserved fossil biotas, ranging from Cambrian Burgess Shale arthropods to color patterns in dinosaurs and fossil insects. Brigg's research program includes experimental work on the factors controlling decay and fossilization, studies of early diagenetic mineralization and organic preservation, and field and laboratory work on a range of extraordinary fossil occurrences. The goal of this research extends beyond taxonomic description and analysis to considerations of the dynamics of fossil preservation, functional morphology, organismal development, phylogenetic position and evolutionary significance.