Derek Siveter researches the systematics, palaeobiology and phylogeny of fossil invertebrates, especially arthropods. His investigations also focus on the Herefordshire (Silurian; UK) and Chengjiang (Cambrian; Yunnan Province, China) exceptional preservation (Konservat-Lagerstätten) biotas. Both sites yield soft-bodied fossils, which provide more critical data on the palaeobiology and history of life, and the true nature of ancient communities, than the normal shelly fossil record. The Chengjiang fossils provide a window on the Cambrian explosion event about 525 million years ago, which heralded the first appearance in the fossil record of most of the major animal groups that now comprise present-day marine biodiversity. Derek Siveter was a consultant for the Chinese government’s successful UNESCO application (2012) to confer World Heritage status on Chengjiang. The Herefordshire fossils are in 3D and recovered by physical-optical tomographic computer methods. They are providing an unparalleled view of marine life some 430 million years ago.
