Staff profile

I am interested in the origins of the modern animal groups. My work includes the study of unusual organisms from Burgess Shale-type deposits and their microscopic counterparts, the Small Carbonaceous Fossils. I also have an interest in the preservation of these remarkable fossils, and the mathematical techniques used to reconstruct evolutionary history from palaeontological evidence.

Administrative roles

2022–2025: Director of Education, Department of Earth Sciences

Career history

2015–present: Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University

2012–2015: Junior Research Fellow, Clare College, University of Cambridge

2012: PhD, University of Toronto

2008: MA & MSc, Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge

Research opportunities

I am currently inviting proposals for postgraduate research projects in palaeobiology and phylogenetic methods (Masters by Research or PhD). Please get in touch for more information.

Undergraduate research projects are also available for Durham and non-Durham students. Palaeontological Association bursaries may be of interest to potential applicants.

Research software

Journal Article

• ERC2.0 evolutionary rate covariation update improves inference of functional interactions across large phylogenies.
  
  Little, J., Meyer, G. H., Grover, A., Michael Francette, A., Partha, R., Arndt, K. M., Smith, M., Clark, N., & Chikina, M. (2025). ERC2.0 evolutionary rate covariation update improves inference of functional interactions across large phylogenies. Genome Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.280586.125
• Reply to comments on: Omnidens appendages and the origin of radiodont mouthparts
  
  Li, W., Yang, J., Yang, X., Dhungana, A., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., & Smith, M. (2025). Reply to comments on: Omnidens appendages and the origin of radiodont mouthparts. Papers in Palaeontology. https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70016
• Shishania is a chancelloriid and not a Cambrian mollusk
  
  Yang, J., Li, W., Chen, A., Du, K., Peng, X., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., & Smith, M. (2025). Shishania is a chancelloriid and not a Cambrian mollusk. Science, 388(6747), 662-664. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adv4635
• Omnidens appendages and the origin of radiodont mouthparts
  
  Li, W., Yang, J., Yang, X., Dhungana, A., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., & Smith, M. (2024). Omnidens appendages and the origin of radiodont mouthparts. Papers in Palaeontology, 10(6), Article e1600. https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.1600
• Organ systems of a Cambrian euarthropod larva
  
  Smith, M. R., Long, E. J., Dhungana, A., Dobson, K. J., Yang, J., & Zhang, X. (2024). Organ systems of a Cambrian euarthropod larva. Nature, 633, 120-126. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07756-8
• A Bayesian astrochronology for the Cambrian first occurrence of trilobites in West Gondwana (Morocco)
  
  Sinnesael, M., Millard, A. R., & Smith, M. R. (2024). A Bayesian astrochronology for the Cambrian first occurrence of trilobites in West Gondwana (Morocco). Geology, 52(3), 205-209. https://doi.org/10.1130/G51718.1
• climenv: Download, extract and visualise climatic and elevation data
  
  Tsakalos, J. L., Smith, M. R., Luebert, F., & Mucina, L. (2023). climenv: Download, extract and visualise climatic and elevation data. Journal of Vegetation Science: Advances in Plant Community Ecology, 34(6), Article e13215. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13215
• Evolution: Assembling the Deuterostome body plan
  
  Smith, M. R. (2023). Evolution: Assembling the Deuterostome body plan. Current Biology, 33(12), R691-R694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.015
• Protomelission is an early dasyclad alga and not a Cambrian bryozoan
  
  Yang, J., Lan, T., Zhang, X., & Smith, M. (2023). Protomelission is an early dasyclad alga and not a Cambrian bryozoan. Nature, 615(7952), 468-471. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05775-5
• The Cambrian cirratuliform Iotuba denotes an early annelid radiation
  
  Zhang, Z., Smith, M., & Ren, X. (2023). The Cambrian cirratuliform Iotuba denotes an early annelid radiation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 290(1992), Article 20222014. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.2014
• Robust analysis of phylogenetic tree space
  
  Smith, M. (2022). Robust analysis of phylogenetic tree space. Systematic Biology, 71(5), 1255-1270. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syab100
• Using information theory to detect rogue taxa and improve consensus trees
  
  Smith, M. R. (2022). Using information theory to detect rogue taxa and improve consensus trees. Systematic Biology, 71(5), 1088-1094. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syab099
• Information theoretic Generalized Robinson-Foulds metrics for comparing phylogenetic trees
  
  Smith, M. (2020). Information theoretic Generalized Robinson-Foulds metrics for comparing phylogenetic trees. Bioinformatics, 36(20), 5007-5013. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa614
• An algorithm for morphological phylogenetic analysis with inapplicable data
  
  Brazeau, M., Guillerme, T., & Smith, M. (2019). An algorithm for morphological phylogenetic analysis with inapplicable data. Systematic Biology, 68(4), 619-631. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syy083
• Bayesian and parsimony approaches reconstruct informative trees from simulated morphological datasets
  
  Smith, M. (2019). Bayesian and parsimony approaches reconstruct informative trees from simulated morphological datasets. Biology Letters, 15(2), Article 20180632. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0632
• Hyoliths are Palaeozoic lophophorates
  
  Moysiuk, J., Smith, M., & Caron, J. (2017). Hyoliths are Palaeozoic lophophorates. Nature, 541, 394-397. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20804
• Cord-forming Palaeozoic fungi in terrestrial assemblages
  
  Smith, M. (2016). Cord-forming Palaeozoic fungi in terrestrial assemblages. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 180(4), 452-460. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12389
• Hallucigenia’s head and the pharyngeal armature of early ecdysozoans
  
  Smith, M., & Caron, J. (2015). Hallucigenia’s head and the pharyngeal armature of early ecdysozoans. Nature, 523(7558), 75-78. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14573
• Hallucigenia’s onychophoran-like claws and the case for Tactopoda
  
  Smith, M., & Ortega-Hernández, J. (2014). Hallucigenia’s onychophoran-like claws and the case for Tactopoda. Nature, 514(7522), 363-366. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13576
• Primitive soft-bodied cephalopods from the Cambrian
  
  Smith, M., & Caron, J. (2010). Primitive soft-bodied cephalopods from the Cambrian. Nature, 465(7297), 469-472. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09068