Friðgeir Grímsson, Privatdoz. MSc PhD

Senior Scientist
Ground floor, room 3
t: +43 (0)1 4277-540 10
m: fridgeir.grimsson@univie.ac.at

© Grimsson

Media contributions

Research interests

  • Palynology
  • Paleopalynology
  • Botany
  • Paleobotany
  • Paleophytogeography

My research interests comprise plant evolution, vegetation differentiation, and climate development in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic. I use evidence from the macrofossil record (mostly leaves) and from the record of dispersed pollen and spores to resolve the origin, diversification, and dispersal of plant lineages, to trace past distribution and biogeographic patterns of various plant groups and major plant functional groups, to reconstruct regional and large-scale vegetation changes, and, eventually, to evaluate past climate situations and possible climate changes during the past ca. 100 million years. Key areas of my research have been the Arctic and Subarctic regions and mid-latitude regions in Asia, North America and Europe. My current area of focus is Western and Central Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the African continent.

Projects

 Teaching

Current Courses

 Cooperations

  • Department of Paleontology, University of Vienna, Austria
  • Department of Paleobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm
  • Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Germany
  • Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
  • Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland
  • Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, USA
  • Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
  • Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
  • Departments of Botany and Geology & Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
  • Naturalis Biodiversity Center, National Herbarium of the Netherlands, Leiden
  • Don Harrington Discovery Center, 1200 Streit Drive, Amarillo, TX, 79106, USA

 Curriculum Vitae

Current position

  • 2021– Senior Scientist, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Austria.

Education

  • 2015 Venia Docendi (Priv.-Doz.)/Doctor Habilitatus (Dr. habil.) in Paleontology/Paleobotany. University of Vienna, Austria. Thesis: Unravelling Upper Cretaceous and Cainozoic vegetation patterns from Northern Hemispheric palynofloras.
  • 2007 Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. phil.) in Geology/Paleobotany. University of Iceland, Reykjavík. Thesis: The Miocene floras of Iceland: origin and evolution of fossil floras from north-west and western Iceland, 15 to 6 Ma.
  • 2002 Master of Science (MS) in Geology/Paleobotany. University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Thesis: The Hreðavatn Member of the Hreðavatn-Stafholt Formation and its fossil flora.
  • 1999 Bachelor of Science (BS) in Geology/Paleobotany. University of Iceland, Reykjavík. Thesis: Þrimilsdalur: an ancient flora in an aesthetic valley.

Scientific career

  • 2018–2021 Research scientist, senior postdoctoral position, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Austria
  • 2013–2014 Assistant Professor, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík
  • 2010–2018 Research scientist, senior postdoctoral position, Department of Paleontology, University of Vienna, Austria
  • 2007–2009 Research scientist, postdoctoral position, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík
  • 2002–2009 Lecturer, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík
  • 2002–2007 Teacher, Menntaskólinn við Sund (Secondary School, College), Reykjavík

 

Publications

Showing entries 121 - 139 out of 139

2013

Denk, T., Grimm, G. W., Grimsson, F., & Zetter, R. (2013). Evidence from "Köppen signatures" of fossil plant assemblages for effective heat transport of Gulf Stream to subarctic North Atlantic during Miocene cooling. Biogeosciences, 10, 7927-7942. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7927-2013

2012

Bolinder, K., Hoorn, C., Dupont-Nivet, G., Grimsson, F., Zetter, R., & Rydin, C. (2012). Diversification patterns in Ephedra (Gnetales) based on morphological studies of fossil and recent pollen. 13th International Palynological Congress and 9th International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference, Tokyo, Japan.
Grimsson, F., Denk, T., & Zetter, R. (2012). Tracing the phytogeographic history of Northern Hemispheric angiosperms using fossils, tectonic evidence, and palaeoclimate. 30th Nordic Geological Winter Meeting, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Grimsson, F., Zetter, R., & Leng, Q. (2012). Diverse fossil Onagraceae pollen from a Miocene palynoflora of north-east China: early steps in resolving the phytogeographic history of the family. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 298(3), 671-687. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-011-0578-0
Denk, T., Grimsson, F., & Zetter, R. (2012). Fagaceae from the early Oligocene of Central Europe: Persisting new world and emerging old world biogeographic links. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 169, 7-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2011.09.010
Grimsson, F., Ferguson, D.-K., & Zetter, R. (2012). Morphological trends in the fossil pollen of Decodon and the paleobiogeographic history of the genus. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 173(3), 297-317. https://doi.org/10.1086/663968

2011

Grimsson, F., Zetter, R., & Baal, C. (2011). Combined LM and SEM study of the Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) palynoflora from the Lavanttal Basin, Austria: Part I. Bryophyta, Lycopodiophyta, Pteridophyta, Ginkgophyta, and Gnetophyta. Grana: an international journal of palynology and aerobiology with world pollen and spore flora, 50(2), 102-128. https://doi.org/10.1080/00173134.2011.585804
Grimsson, F., & Zetter, R. (2011). Combined LM and SEM study of the Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) palynoflora from the Lavanttal Basin, Austria: Part II. Pinophyta (Cupressaceae, Pinaceae and Sciadopityaceae). Grana: an international journal of palynology and aerobiology with world pollen and spore flora, 50, 262-310.
Zetter, R., Hofmann, C., & Grimsson, F. (2011). Kurzzeitiges Auftreten tropischer Florenelemente im Paläogen von Mittel- und Westeuropa. In Beiträge zur Paläontologie: 82. Jahrestagung der Paläontologischen Gesellschaft in Wien. Abstract Volume (Vol. 32, pp. 43). Verein zur Förderung der Paläontologie.
Denk, T., Grimsson, F., Zetter, R., & Símonarson, L. A. (2011). Late Cainozoic Floras of Iceland. 15 Million Years of Vegetation and Climate History in the Northern North Atlantic. Springer.
Grimsson, F., Zetter, R., & Hofmann, C. (2011). Lythrum and Peplis from the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic of North America and Eurasia: New evidence suggesting early diversification within the Lythraceae. American Journal of Botany: the journal for all plant biologists, 98(11), 1801-1815. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1100204

2010

Grimsson, F., & Zetter, R. (2010). An exceptional palynoflora from the Middle Miocene (ca. 13.5 Ma) Lavanttal Basin, Carinthia, Austria. In 8th European Palaeobotany-Palynology Conference 6-10 July 2010 Budapest, Hungary (EPPC): Program and Abstracts Hungarian Natural History Museum.
Denk, T., Grimsson, F., & Zetter, R. (2010). Episodic migration of oaks to Iceland: Evidence for a North Atlantic "land bridge" in the latest Miocene. American Journal of Botany: the journal for all plant biologists, 97(2), 276-287. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.0900195
Grimsson, F., Denk, T., & Zetter, R. (2010). The role of the "North Atlantic Land Bridge" for late Cainozoic plant migration: combined evidence from the geological and the fossil record of Iceland. In 8th European Palaeobotany-Palynology Conference 6-10 July 2010 Budapest, Hungary (EPPC): Program and Abstracts Hungarian Natural History Museum.
Denk, T., Zetter, R., & Grimsson, F. (2010). Using plant fossils to establish divergence times between transatlantic disjunct sister species of Rhododendron subsect. Ponticum. In 8th European Palaeobotany-Palynology Conference 6-10 July 2010 Budapest, Hungary (EPPC): Program and Abstracts Hungarian Natural History Museum.

2007

Grímsson, F., & Denk, T. (2007). Floristic turnover in Iceland from 15 to 6 Ma - Extracting biogeographical signals from fossil floral assemblages. Journal of Biogeography, 34(9), 1490-1504. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2007.01712.x
Grímsson, F., Denk, T., & Símonarson, L. A. (2007). Middle Miocene floras of Iceland - the early colonization of an island? Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 144(3-4), 181-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2006.07.003

2005

Denk, T., Grímsson, F., & Kvaček, Z. (2005). The Miocene floras of Iceland and their significance for late cainozoic North Atlantic biogeography. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 149(4), 369-417. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2005.00441.x
Grímsson, F., & Denk, T. (2005). Fagus from the Miocene of Iceland: Systematics and biogeographical considerations. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 134(1-2), 27-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2004.11.002
Showing entries 121 - 139 out of 139