Nick Famoso
Education
Ph.D., Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, 2017
M.S., Geological Sciences, University of Oregon, 2013
B.S., Geology, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 2009
Statement
I compleated my MS (2013) and PhD (2017) at UO and am now the Paleontology Program Manager and Museum Curator at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Research
I'm interested in understanding the processes which underlie mammalian community reconstruction after volcanic perturbations. I am especially interested in understanding the the impact of large scale eruptions (supervolcanoes) on mammalian communities. I'm focusing on the recovery after the Picture Gorge Ignimbrite in the Turtle Cove Member of the John Day Formation of Oregon.
Publications
Clements, J. W., N. A. Famoso, & E. B. Davis. 2024. The effects of dietary variation and ecology on the relationship between body size and reproductive strategy in extant mammalian carnivores. Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy, Online First. DOI: 10.4404/hystrix-00657-2023
Famoso, N. A., & L. K. Jewell. 2024. Re-evaluating hypertragulid diversity in the John Day basin, Oregon, USA. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 69(3): 411-423. doi:10.4202/app.01119.2023 (Scholars Bank)
Calede, J. J., K. N. Constenius, N. A. Famoso, & W. A. Kehl. 2024. Discovery of Oligocene-aged mammals in Glacier National Park (Kishenehn Formation), Montana. Geodiversitas 2024(9): 367-386. DOI: 10.5252/geodiversitas2024v46a9 (Scholars Bank)
Orcutt, J. D., C. J. Schmer, J. P. Lubisich, L. T. Abrams & N. A. Famoso. 2024. New occurrences of mammals from McKay Reservoir (Hemphillian, Oregon). Journal of Paleontology 98(3):420 - 431. DOI: 10.1017/jpa.2023.98 (Scholars Bank)
Lee, J., N. A. Famoso, & A. Lin. 2024. Microtomography of an enigmatic fossil egg clutch from the Oligocene John Day Formation, Oregon, USA, reveals an exquisitely preserved 29-million-year-old fossil grasshopper ootheca. Parks Stewardship Forum 40(1):139-179. DOI: 10.5070/P540162928 (Scholars Bank)
Famoso N. A. & Orcutt J. D. 2022. First occurrences of Palaeogale von Meyer, 1846 in the Pacific Northwest, United States. Geodiversitas 44(14): 427-436. DOI:10.5252/geodiversitas2022v44a14 (Scholars Bank)
Short, R. A., L. G. Emmert, N. A. Famoso, J. M. Martin, J. I. Meade, S. L. Swift, & A. Baezg. 2021. Paleobiology of a large mammal community from the late Pleistocene of Sonora, Mexico. Quaternary Research 102: 1-13. DOI: 10.1017/qua.2020.125 (Scholars Bank)
Kort, A. E. & N. A. Famoso. 2020. Novel analysis of locality data can inform better inventory and monitoring practices for paleontological resources at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Palaeontologia Electronica 23(1): 1-17. DOI:10.26879/1053 (Scholars Bank)
Famoso, N. A. 2020. Mammalian Community Response to Historic Volcanic Eruptions. Mammalian Biology 100(2): 219-230. DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00022-0 (Scholars Bank)
Robson, S. V., N. A. Famoso , E. B. Davis, & S. S. B. Hopkins. 2019. First mesonychid from the Clarno Formation (Eocene) of Oregon. Palaeontologia Electronica. 22(2.35): 1-13. DOI: 10.26879/856 (Scholars Bank)
Liggett, G. A., T. Childs, N. A. Famoso, H. G. McDonald, A. L. Titus, E. Varner, & C. L. Liggett. 2018. An overview of the contributions of federal land to paleontology, and a discussion of the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum Program. In Rosenberg, G. D., and Clary, R. M., eds., Museums at the Forefront of the History of Philosophy of Geology, History Made, History in the Making: Geological Society of America Special Paper 535: p. 311-334. DOI: 10.1130/2018.2535(21) (Scholars Bank)
Famoso, N. A., S. S. B. Hopkins, & E. B. Davis. 2018. How do diet and body mass drive reproductive strategies in mammals? Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 124(2): 151-156. DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly038 (Scholars Bank)
Famoso, N. A. 2017. Statistical analysis of dental variation in the Oligocene equid Miohippus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) of Oregon. Journal of Paleontology. 91(5): 1060-1068 DOI: 10.1017/jpa.2017.42 (Scholars Bank)
Famoso, N. A., & E. B. Davis. 2016. On the relationship between enamel band complexity and occlusal surface area in Equids (Mammalia, Perissodactyla). PeerJ. 4: e2181 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2181 (Scholars Bank)
Famoso, N. A., E. B. Davis, R. S. Feranec, S. S. B. Hopkins, & S. A. Price. 2016. Are Hypsodonty and Occlusal Enamel Complexity Evolutionarily Correlated in Ungulates? Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 23(1): 43-47. DOI: 10.1007/s10914-015-9296-7# (Scholars Bank)
Famoso, N. A. & S. S. B. Hopkins. 2014. Correction to the holotype (AMNH FM 9394) of Merychippus proparvulus Osborn, 1918 (Perissodactyla, Equidae). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34(5): 1249-1250. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2014.853073 (Scholars Bank)
Famoso, N. A. & E. B. Davis. 2014. Occlusal enamel complexity in middle Miocene to Holocene Equids (Equidae: Perissodactyla) of North America. PLoS One. 9(2): e90184. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090184 (Scholars Bank)
Famoso N. A., R. S. Feranec, & E. B. Davis. 2013. Occlusal enamel complexity and its implications for lophodonty, hypsodonty, body mass and diet in extinct and extant ungulates. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 387: 211-216. DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.07.006 (Scholars Bank)
Famoso, N. A. & D. C. Pagnac. 2011. A Comparison of the Clarendonian Equid Assemblages from the Mission Pit, South Dakota and Ashfall Fossil Beds, Nebraska. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies. 32: 98-107. Website: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas/9/ (Scholars Bank)
Teaching
Ultimately, I want my students to leave my classroom being able to think critically about the world around them. I also feel that they should be able to understand the processes that underlie and connect all of the details. I believe that my students should know the basics of the scientific method to be better informed citizens whether or not they decide to go into the sciences through collecting, visualizing, and interpreting data. Personally, I want to get students excited about science, and not be afraid of the STEM fields.
I also believe that mentoring students, not only in research, but in the lab and the field is imperative to their success in understanding the underlying process. I believe that fostering a creative and supportive learning environment will lead my students to a successful career in STEM fields, or at least in becoming a well informed and citizen.