Dr Timothy Churchill
I study Australia鈥檚 marsupials, past and present, to uncover how evolution, climate, and geography shaped their remarkable diversity. My research focuses on carnivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia) from the Oligo-Miocene Riversleigh World Heritage Area, one of the world鈥檚 most significant fossil sites. These fossils reveal not only the lives of bizarre and fascinating extinct species, but also how ancient faunas responded to environmental change and connect to the marsupials we see today.
In addition to palaeontology, I work as a Senior Archaeologist and Fauna Specialist on the Juukan Gorge project in Western Pilbara, collaborating closely with traditional owners to study human-fauna interactions and demonstrate how cultural knowledge can enrich scientific research.
My expertise spans taxonomy, phylogenetics, morphometrics, functional morphology, and biogeography, with a broader interest in tracing the origins and global dispersal of early metatherians across continents and through deep time.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Volkswagen Foundation Student Travel Grant to Messel Conference 2025
Earth and Sustainability Science Centre student equipment grant 2023
Riversleigh Society Student Travel Grant 2023
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Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences Research Showcase best geosciences presentation winner 2023
Geosciences Society of Australia Student Forum 2023 best poster winner
Churchill, T. J., Archer, M., Hand, S. J. 2025. Three new malleodectids (Marsupialia, Malleodectidae) from the late Oligocene and early Miocene deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland. Historical Biology. DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2025.2543075
Churchill, T. J., Archer, M., Hand, S. J. 2025. A new genus and two new species of malleodectid (Marsupialia, Malleodectidae) from the middle and late Miocene deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland. Journal of Mammalian Evolution. DOI: 10.1007/s10914-025-09755-6
Churchill, T. J., Archer, M., Hand, S. J. 2024. Three new thylacinids (Marsupialia, Thylacinidae) from late Oligocene deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2384595.
Churchill, T. J., Archer, M., Hand, S. J., Myers, T., Gillespie, A., & Beck, R. M. D. 2023. A new diminutive durophagous Miocene dasyuromorphian (Marsupialia, Malleodectidae) from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northern Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2023.2170804.