Dr Imran Rahman

Summary

I’m an integrative palaeobiologist interested in the early evolution of echinoderms, seeking to investigate their evolutionary emergence through the integration of biological and palaeontological approaches.

I have a strong background in computational approaches, particularly ‘virtual palaeontology’ and statistical modelling in R. I'm also proficient in X-ray micro-tomography and a range of wet-lab techniques.

Biography

I completed an MSci in Palaeobiology at University College London with First Class Honours (2005) and a PhD on Palaeozoic fossil echinoderms at Imperial College London (2009). After my PhD, I undertook an MSc in Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics at the University of Manchester (graduating with a distinction) to gain practical experience in molecular biology and bioinformatics. This was followed by a short stint as a Research Associate in Dr Chris Knight’s Lab in the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester (http://www.mcisb.org/people/knight/), where I explored the comparative biology and evolution of yeast genomes. I'm currently a NERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow working on the evolutionary assembly of the echinoderm body plan. I'm a member of the Palaeobiology and Biodiversity Research Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol (http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/).

Memberships

Organisations

School of Earth Sciences

Academic staff

• Earth Sciences academic staff

Research groups

• Palaeobiology and Biodiversity

Research themes

• Evolution of Biodiversity and Morphology

Links

•   Download PDFs of my papers
•   Palaeontology [online], a science outreach website

Recent publications

• Zamora, S, Rahman, IA & Smith, AB 2013, ‘The ontogeny of cinctans (stem-group Echinodermata) as revealed by a new genus, Graciacystis, from the middle Cambrian of Spain’. Palaeontology, vol 56., pp. 399-410
• Rahman, IA & Lintz, H 2012, ‘Dehmicystis globulus, an enigmatic solute (Echinodermata) from the Lower Devonian Hunsruck Slate, Germany’. Paläontologische Zeitschrift, vol 86., pp. 59-70
• Zamora, S, Rahman, IA & Smith, AB 2012, ‘Plated Cambrian bilaterians reveal the earliest stages of echinoderm evolution’. Plos one, vol 7.
• Lin, J, Zhao, Y, Rahman, IA, Xiao, S & Wang, Y 2010, ‘Bioturbation in Burgess Shale-type Lagerstatten - Case study of trace fossil-body fossil association from the Kaili Biota (Cambrian Series 3), Guizhou, China’. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol 292., pp. 245-256
• Rahman, IA, Zamora, S & Geyer, G 2010, ‘The oldest stylophoran echinoderm: a new Ceratocystis from the Middle Cambrian of Germany’. Paläontologische Zeitschrift, vol 84., pp. 227-237
• Rahman, IA, Jefferies, RPS, Suedkamp, WH & Smith, RDA 2009, ‘Ichnological insights into mitrate palaeobiology’. Palaeontology, vol 52., pp. 127-138
• Rahman, IA & Clausen, S 2009, ‘Re-evaluating the palaeobiology and affinities of the Ctenocystoidea (Echinodermata)’. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, vol 7., pp. 413-426
• Rahman, IA, Sutton, MD & Bell, MA 2009, ‘Evaluating phylogenetic hypotheses of carpoids using stratigraphic congruence indices’. Lethaia, vol 42., pp. 424-437
• Rahman, IA & Zamora, S 2009, ‘The oldest cinctan carpoid (stem-group Echinodermata), and the evolution of the water vascular system’. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, vol 157., pp. 420-432

View complete publications list in the University of Bristol publications system