Miss Angharad Jones

Interests

I am interested in mammals during the Quaternary, particularly their responses to the changing environmental conditions during this time. I enjoyed my Masters dissertation, which involved identifying many small mammals teeth. I also have an interest in carnivores, particularly hyaenas. I am also interested in looking at the bones and teeth of modern specimens in order to aid interpretation of mammals from the Pleistocene. 

Current PhD research

The palaeodietary and morphometric responses of Pleistocene spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta Erxleben, 1777) to environmental changes in Europe

Spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta Erxleben, 1777) are today restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, yet during the Pleistocene, they ranged throughout Eurasia and were subject to widely fluctuating climatic and environmental conditions. This study assesses palaeodietary and morphometric variability in the spotted hyaena against this backdrop of Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental change in Europe. The study comprises first a detailed examination of modern Crocuta from sub-Saharan Africa, in order to establish baseline parameters of body mass variation, sexual dimorphism, tooth wear/breakage and the impact of competition and local environment. It is followed by a detailed examination of fossil Crocuta from the Middle and Late Pleistocene of Britain, paired with a study of Late Pleistocene Crocuta from Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic and Serbia.
 

Masters dissertation

The mammalian assemblages of The Crypt, Creswell Crags, Nottinghamshire.

This involved the identification of many remains of small and large mammals. An attempt was made to understand and interpret the taphonomic history of these remains. Based on the mammalian species identified, the environmental conditions of the area during the time the fauna was alive was reconstructed. Additionally, the age of the deposits was inferred from the mammalian species composition. 

2014  - 2019: PhD Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London; Zoological Society of London; under the London NERC DTP

2012 - 2013: MSc Quaternary Science, Royal Holloway, University of London

2007 - 2010: BSc Geography, University of Leeds

Visiting teaching assistant and marker

Teaching

3rd year vertebrate biodiversity lecture x 1 (2019/19)

1st year physical geography tutorial fellow  (2017/18)

Marking

GG1011A - 1st year fieldwork reports (2015/16, 2016/17 and 2018/19)

GG1011D - 1st year statistics posters (2015/16 and 2016/17)

GG2001 - 2nd year statistics reports (2015/16, 2016/17 and 2018/19)

July 2016 - present: STEM Ambassador with STEM Learning

Jan - Sept 2014: Laboratory Assistant (Quaternary Mammals) - Royal Holloway, University of London

I identified a great number of small and large mammal remains from a Late Pleistocene site in the UK.