Dr. Francesca Galasso

Through my research, I investigate how environmental change drives terrestrial ecosystem responses. By developing innovative methods, I aim to deepen our understanding of these dynamics and support effective strategies for mitigating the impacts of ongoing climate change.

Current position: Guest Researcher, University of Hamburg

Professional Experience:

2023-2025 Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Hamburg
2018-2022 PhD in Evolutionary Biology. Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
2017-2018 Traineeship Erasmus +. Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Mar e Ambiente, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal

Research expeditions:

2023-2024 Palaeontological and geological fieldwork in the Permian/Triassic Boundary, Spitsbergen, Norway.
2023 Palaeontological and geological fieldwork in the Permian/Triassic Boundary, Dolomites, Italy.
2019-2021 Palaeontological prospecting of the Palaeozoic in Tafilalt Basin (Eastern Anti-Atlas), Morocco.

2019 Palaeontological excavation of a large ichthyosaur from the Jurassic of Auenstein, Canton Argau, with the Paleontological Institute Museum Zurich, Switzerland.

2018 Palaeontological and geological fieldwork in the Early Jurassic, Dormettingen, SW Germany.

2017 Palaeontological and geological fieldwork in the Jurassic, Algarve, Portugal.

Reviewer, Outreach & Organisation Scientific Events:

Scientific articles reviewed for: Geosciences, Global and Planetary Change, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology & Palaeoecology, Geobios, Geological Society London Special Publications, Geology and Scientific Report.

Since 2023: Geoscience online webinar series. Co-organizer [includes scientific talks & science communication], attracting over 800 live views and 26,000 online views from both the scientific community & the general public. University of Hamburg, Germany.

2020-2021 PhD summer school retreat. Co-organizer [includes workshop, talks & field activity, 30 PhD students & 3 international speakers per year]. University of Zurich, Switzerland

2019-2020 Night of the Museums. Co-organizer [includes workshop, talks & hands-on activity, 1000

attenders per year] held at the Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich Switzerland.

Education:
2018-2022 SNSF-funded PhD in Evolutionary Biology. Paleontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Thesis title: Environmental influence on spore-pollen morphology during the Mesozoic.
2015-2017 Master in Petroleum Geology. Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Italy.

2013-2015 Bachelor in Earth Sciences. Department of Engineering and Geology, University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy.

Teaching is a passion I have pursued alongside my research, accumulating over 500 hours of experience at the universities of Zurich, Hamburg, and Frankfurt am Main. I have trained nearly 700 undergraduate students and have mentored and supervised PhD, MSc, and BSc projects, seamlessly integrating my research with hands-on learning. Courses I have taught include Evolution and Paleobiology of Plants, Fundamentals of Evolution, Fieldwork in Paleozoic/Mesozoic Outcrops, and Micropalaeontology and Palaeogeography.

Publications:

See also:

scholar.google.com

researchgate.net/Francesca-Galasso

1.           Galasso, F., Frank, A. B., & Foster, W. J. 2025. Heavy metal toxicity and its role as a major driver of past biodiversity crises. Comm. Earth & Environment. 6(1), 780. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02781-5.

2.           Schneebeli-Hermann, E., & Galasso, F. 2025. Resilient gymnosperms: reassessing floral dynamics at the permian–triassic extinction in Meishan. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 105373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105373

3.           Buchwald, Z., S., Birgel, D.., Senger, K., Mosociova, T., Pei, Y., Zuchuat, V., Tarhan, L. G., Frank, A. B., Galasso, F., Gomez Correa, M. A., Koşun, E., Karapunar, B., Wang, X., Kustatscher, E., Prinoth, H., Lahajnar, N., R. Steinkrauss, R., Peckmann, J., and Foster, W.J. 2025. Primary productivity blooms on the Barents Shelf, Svalbard, associated with the Permian–Triassic mass extinction. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025AV001785

4.           Ajuaba, S., Galasso F., Sachsenhofer, R., Garlichs, U. T., Gross D., Schneebeli-Hermann, E., Misch D., & Oriabure, J. 2024. The Toarcian Posidonia Shale at Salem (North Alpine Foreland Basin; South Germany): Hydrocarbon potential and paleogeography. International Journal of Earth Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-024-02392-z

5.           Galasso, F., Heimhofer, U., & Schneebeli-Hermann, E. 2023. The Cenomanian/Turonian boundary in light of new developments in terrestrial palynology. Sci Rep 13, 3074. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30072-6.

6.           Galasso, F., Bucher, H., & Schneebeli-Hermann, E. 2022b. Mapping monstrosity: Malformed sporomorphs across the Smithian/Spathian boundary interval and beyond (Salt Range, Pakistan). Global and Planetary Change, 103975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2022.103975.

7.           Galasso, F., Feist-Burkhardt S., & Schneebeli-Hermann, E. 2022a. Galasso, F., Feist-Burkhardt, S., & Schneebeli-Hermann, E. (2022). Do spores herald the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event?. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 104748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2022.104748.

8.           Galasso, F., Feist-Burkhardt S., & Schneebeli-Hermann, E. 2022. The palynology of the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event at Dormettingen, southwest Germany, with emphasis on changes in vegetational dynamics. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 104701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2022.104701

9.           Ajuaba, S., Sachsenhofer, R. F., Bechtel, A., Galasso, F., Gross, D., Misch, D., & Schneebeli-Hermann, E. 2022. Biomarker and compound-specific isotope records across the Toarcian CIE at the Dormettingen section in SW Germany. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-022-02196-z.

10.         Spina, A., Cirilli, S., Sorci, A., Schito, A., Clayton, G., Corrado, S., Fernandes, P., Galasso, F., Montesi, G., Pereira, Z., Rashidi, M. & Rettori, R. 2021. Assessing Thermal Maturity through a Multi-Proxy Approach: A Case Study from the Permian Faraghan Formation (Zagros Basin, Southwest Iran). Geosciences, 11(12), 484. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11120484.

11.         Galasso, F., Schmid-Röhl, A., Feist-Burkhardt, S., Bernasconi, S. M., & Schneebeli-Hermann, E. 2021. Changes in organic matter composition during the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE) in the Posidonia Shale Formation from Dormettingen (SW-Germany). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 110327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110327.

12.         Pereira, Z., Fernandes, P., Lopes, G., Marques, J., Vaz, M., Costa, M., Correia, J., Castro, L., & Galasso F. 2019. Palynology of the Muarádzi sub-basin, Moatize-Minjova coal basin, Karoo supergroup, Mozambique. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 269, 78-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2019.06.006.

13.         Galasso, F., Fernandes, P., Montesi, G., Marques, J., Spina, A., & Pereira, Z. 2019. Thermal history and basin evolution of the Moatize-Minjova Coal Basin (N'Condédzi sub-basin, Mozambique) constrained by organic maturation levels. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 153, 219-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2019.02.020.

14.         Galasso, F., Pereira, Z., Fernandes, P., Spina, A., & Marques, J. 2019. First record of Permo-Triassic palynomorphs of the N'Condédzi sub-basin, Moatize-Minjova Coal Basin, Karoo Supergroup, Mozambique. Revue de Micropaléontologie, 64, 100357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revmic.2019.05.001