Teaching Responsibilities

At the undergraduate level, Dr. Lewis teaches Historical Geology and Principles of Paleontology, an introductory course in paleobiology.  He also teaches Invertebrate Paleontology at the advanced-undergraduate and graduate level. This course emphasizes fossil preservation (taphonomy) and includes laboratory experiments. At the graduate level, Dr. Lewis and Dr. Wolf teach a professional development course called Geocommunication, a required course focusing on the journal article and research proposal.  He also teaches the carbonate portion of  Facies Analysis and Sequence Stratigraphy and, along with Dr. Savrda, he teaches a graduate seminar known as Issues in Paleontology.  Directed Studies courses taught by Dr. Lewis include a course in Actualistic Paleontology, the study of modern-day organisms to better interpret life of the geologic past, and a field course in Carbonate Depositional Systems at San Salvador Bahamas.mm

Research Interest & Current Projects

Dr. Lewis' research deals primarily with the taphonomy of echinoderms and other invertebrates.  Dr. Lewis is a strong advocate of the actualistic approach in paleontology, so present-day invertebrates are studied in their natural habitat and are often the subjects of field experiments.  Currently, Dr. Lewis and his graduate students are studying the ecology and taphonomy of modern-day large benthic foraminifera at the outer islands of the Bahamas. The echinoid (sea urchin) fauna of the Bahamas is another current research interest of Dr. Lewis. Cretaceous and tertiary echinoid taphonomy are closely related research interests.

Since coming to Auburn University, Dr. Lewis has established a program of teaching and research at the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas, applying the principles of actualistic paleontology to Recent and Pleistocene deposits there.  To date, four M.S. theses have been completed based on student research done there, and three more are in progress. This program has been funded by Auburn University, the National Science Foundation, AAPG, and GSA.  Dr. Lewis and Dr. Bruce Panuska of Mississippi State University recently edited and published the proceedings volume from the 11th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and Other Carbonate Regions, which includes a good sampling of the varied research done at San Salvador by researchers from across the country. Dr. Lewis is also pursuing his interest in the history of actualistic research. Recently the focus has been on the life and contributions of Rudolf Richter.

Other Professional Activities
Dr. Lewis is the co-author of a well-received laboratory manual for Historical Geology (Deciphering Earth History: Exercises in Historical Geology), with R.A. Gastaldo and C.E. Savrda, now in its third edition).

Selected Publications
FORAMINIFERA

Lewis, R.D., 2004, Foraminiferal assemblages and reef-sediment petrographic criteria as evidence for relative distance from shore for Pleistocene reefs, San Salvador, Bahamas: Preliminary Results, in Lewis, R.D., and Panusca, B.C., eds.,  Proceedings of the 11th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and Other Carbonate Regions, June 6-10, 2002: Gerace Research Center, San Salvador, Bahamas, p. 83-94.

Peebles, M. W., and R.D. Lewis, 1991, Surface textures of benthic foraminifera from San Salvador, Bahamas. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, v. 21, p. 285-292.

Lewis, R. D., C. R. Chambers, and M. W. Peebles, 1990, Grain morphology and surface textures of Recent and Pleistocene crinoid plates, San Salvador, Bahamas: PALAIOS, v. 5, p. 570-579.

Peebles, M. W., and Lewis, R. D., 1988, Differential infestation of shallow-water benthic foraminifera by microboring organisms: Potential taxonomic biases in preservation potential: PALAIOS, v. 3, p. 345-351.

ECHINOIDS

Schein, J.P., and R.D. Lewis, 2001, The relationship between living echinoid populations and their skeletal remains in the sea-floor sediment, San Salvador, Bahamas, in Greenstein, J.G., and Carney, C.K., Proceedings of the 10th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and Other Carbonate Regions, June 8-12, 2000: Gerace Research Center, San Salvador, Bahamas, p. 163-174.

Lewis, R.D., J.P. Schein, and M.T. Sadler, 2000.  Echinoid skeletal fragments in sea-floor sediment, San Salvador, Bahamas: Fidelity studies using sand-sized material. Geological Society of America, Annual Meeting, Reno, Nevada, November 2000. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 32, no 7, p. A446.

Lewis, R.D., and M. Sadler, 1997, Meoma ventricosa (Echinodermata): A case study in classical actuopaleontology. Geological Society of America 46th Annual Southeastern Section, March 27-28, 1997. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 29, no. 3, p. 31-32.

HISTORY OF GEOLOGY

Lewis, R.D., 2004, Why was Rudolf Richter's Aktuopaläontologie not embraced by U.S. paleontologists? Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 36, no. 5, p. 245.

Lewis, R.D., 2003, Rudolf Richter and today's actualistic paleontology: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 35, no. 6, p. 206.