Dr Tamara Fletcher
Grant-Funded Research Fellow
School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
College of Science
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.
I am a palaeoclimatologist and palaeoecologist with a focus on Arctic amplification of temperature. The Arctic is warming at 4x the global average, tracking or exceeding our most extreme climate model scenarios and the source of this error is unknown. Applying these same models to warm periods of the past, and testing them against climate reconstructions, allows us to investigate why they may be insensitive to Arctic warming. This will ultimately improve climate model prediction for policy and climate impact mitigation. This question has led to me to apply a broad range of palaeoclimate and palaeoecological reconstruction methods, using the remains of organisms from the past; from fire and cloud reconstruction, to beetles, molluscs, and plants as indicators of their climate, I take a systems approach to understanding our past, to better our future.Central to this, is the interdisciplinary pursuit of data-model comparison. I am the lead of the Neoegene Terrestrial Climate group in the PAGES working group PlioMioVAR working toward a synthesis of Neogene terrestrial climate records; the terrestrial data representative on the PlioMIP3 steering committee; and a founding member of the PoLAR-FIT working group.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 - ongoing | Ramsay Fellow | University of Adelaide |
| 2023 - ongoing | Visiting Scholar | University of Leeds |
| 2021 - 2023 | Marie Sklodowska-Curie Independant Fellow | University of Leeds |
| 2019 - 2021 | President's International Fellowship | Institute of Applied Ecology |
| 2017 - 2018 | Endeavour Research Fellow | University of Nevada Reno |
| 2015 - 2018 | Postdoctoral Research Associate | University of Montana |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Award | Future Leader Award | University of Queensland | Australia | - |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 - 2014 | University of Queensland | Australia | PhD in Palaeontology |
| 2008 - 2009 | University of Queensland | Australia | Graduate Certificate in Science Communication |
| 2008 - 2009 | University of Queensland | Australia | Graduate Certificate in Arts |
| 2006 - 2007 | University of Queensland | Australia | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| 2003 - 2006 | University of Queensland | Australia | Bachelor of Science |
| Date | Title | Institution name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Remote Area First Aid | St Johns Ambulance | Australia |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Bradshaw, C. D., Fletcher, T., Reichgelt, T., Akgun, F., Cantrill, D. J., Casas-Gallego, M., . . . Burls, N. (2025). MioVeg1: A Global Middle Miocene Vegetation Reconstruction for Climate Modeling. PALEOCEANOGRAPHY AND PALEOCLIMATOLOGY, 40(11), 51 pages. |
| 2024 | Haywood, A. M., Tindall, J. C., Burton, L. E., Chandler, M. A., Dolan, A. M., Dowsett, H. J., . . . Salzmann, U. (2024). Pliocene model intercomparison project Phase 3 (PlioMIP3) – Science plan and experimental design. Global and Planetary Change, 232, 104316-1-104316-11. Scopus16 WoS14 |
| 2024 | Schafstall, N., Benito, X., Brugger, S. O., Davies, A. L., Ellis, E., Pla-Rabes, S., . . . Suárez-Mozo, N. Y. (2024). Ten simple rules to bridge ecology and palaeoecology by publishing outside palaeoecological journals.. PLoS Computational Biology, 20(10), e1012487-1-e1012487-15. Scopus1 WoS1 |
| 2024 | Carter, L. D., Christensen, D., Hopkins, D. M., Matthews, J. V., Nelson, R. E., Ovenden, L. E., . . . Fletcher, T. L. (2024). Stratigraphy and paleontology (plant and arthropod fossils) from the Late Neogene Niguanak site, Arctic Slope, Northern Alaska. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 56(1), 16 pages. |
| 2023 | Su, J., Liu, Z., Wang, W., Jiao, K., Yu, Y., Li, K., . . . Fletcher, T. L. (2023). Evaluation of the Spatial Distribution of Predictors of Fire Regimes in China from 2003 to 2016. Remote Sensing, 15(20), 4946-1-4946-19. Scopus7 WoS5 |
| 2023 | Fletcher, T., Tindall, J., Voss, J., & Haywood, A. (2023). Cloudy with a chance it rained: Progress towards a proxy for palaeocloud. |
| 2022 | Tindall, J. C., Haywood, A. M., Salzmann, U., Dolan, A. M., & Fletcher, T. (2022). Supplementary material to "The Warm Winter Paradox in the Pliocene High Latitudes". |
| 2022 | Tindall, J. C., Haywood, A. M., Salzmann, U., Dolan, A. M., & Fletcher, T. (2022). The warm winter paradox in the Pliocene northern high latitudes. Climate of the Past, 18(6), 1385-1405. Scopus17 WoS18 |
| 2022 | Haywood, A., Burton, L., Dolan, A., Dowsett, H., Fletcher, T., Hill, D., . . . Tindall, J. (2022). PlioMIP3 A Science Programme Proposal to the Community. |
| 2021 | Jiao, K. W., Gao, J. B., Liu, Z. H., Wu, S. H., & Fletcher, T. L. (2021). Revealing climatic impacts on the temporal and spatial variation in vegetation activity across China: Sensitivity and contribution. Advances in Climate Change Research, 12(3), 409-420. Scopus31 WoS31 |
| 2021 | Fletcher, T. L., Telka, A., Rybczynski, N., & Matthews, J. V. (2021). Neogene and early pleistocene flora from alaska, usa and arctic/subarctic Canada: New data, intercontinental comparisons and correlations. Palaeontologia Electronica, 24(1), a08-1-a08-62. Scopus15 WoS13 |
| 2021 | Fletcher, T., Eble, C., Sinninghe Damsté, J. S., Brown, K. J., Rybczynski, N., Gosse, J., . . . Ballantyne, A. (2021). Widespread wildfire across the Pliocene Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 584, 1-8. Scopus3 WoS2 |
| 2019 | Fletcher, T. L., Warden, L., Damsté, J. S. S., Brown, K. J., Rybczynski, N., Gosse, J. C., & Ballantyne, A. P. (2019). Evidence for fire in the pliocene arctic in response to amplified temperature. Climate of the Past, 15(3), 1063-1081. Scopus22 WoS21 |
| 2019 | Feng, R., Otto-Bliesner, B. L., Xu, Y., Brady, E., Fletcher, T., & Ballantyne, A. (2019). Contributions of aerosol-cloud interactions to mid-Piacenzian seasonally sea ice-free Arctic Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(16), 9920-9929. Scopus20 WoS19 |
| 2019 | Fletcher, T., Touchan, R., Lepley, K., Rouini, N., Bloye, R., Tremarelli, T. S., . . . Meko, D. M. (2019). TWO RECONSTRUCTIONS of AUGUST-JULY PRECIPITATION for CENTRAL NORTHERN ARIZONA from TREE RINGS. Tree-Ring Research, 75(2), 116-126. Scopus2 WoS3 |
| 2019 | Fletcher, T. L., Csank, A. Z., & Ballantyne, A. P. (2019). Identifying bias in cold season temperature reconstructions by beetle mutual climatic range methods in the Pliocene Canadian High Arctic. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 514, 672-676. Scopus13 WoS11 |
| 2018 | Fletcher, T. L., Moss, P. T., & Salisbury, S. W. (2018). The palaeoenvironment of the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Queensland, Australia. PeerJ, 6(9), e5513-1-e5513-39. Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC5 |
| 2018 | Fletcher, T. (2018). RE: 'additional comment on title'. |
| 2018 | Fletcher, T. (2018). RE: 'review' by Charles Schweger. |
| 2018 | Fletcher, T. (2018). RE: review of Fletcher et al.', by Dana Royer. |
| 2018 | Fletcher, T. (2018). Reply to Dr Rienk Smittenberg's main comments. |
| 2018 | Fletcher, T. (2018). The list of Non-Arboreal Pollen. |
| 2017 | Feng, R., Otto-Bliesner, B. L., Fletcher, T. L., Tabor, C. R., Ballantyne, A. P., & Brady, E. C. (2017). Amplified Late Pliocene terrestrial warmth in northern high latitudes from greater radiative forcing and closed Arctic Ocean gateways. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 466, 129-138. Scopus36 WoS36 |
| 2017 | Fletcher, T., Feng, R., Telka, A. M., Matthews, J. V., & Ballantyne, A. (2017). Floral dissimilarity and the influence of climate in the pliocene high arctic: Biotic and abiotic influences on five sites on the canadian arctic archipelago. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 5(MAR), 13 pages. Scopus21 WoS20 |
| 2017 | Gosse, J. C., Ballantyne, A. P., Barker, J. D., Csank, A. Z., Fletcher, T. L., Grant, G. W., . . . Rybczynski, N. (2017). PoLAR-FIT: Pliocene landscapes and arctic remains-frozen in time. Geoscience Canada, 44(1), 47-54. Scopus9 WoS7 |
| 2015 | Fletcher, T. L., Moss, P. T., & Salisbury, S. W. (2015). Wood growth indices as climate indicators from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Australia. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, 417, 35-43. Scopus13 WoS13 |
| 2014 | Fletcher, T. L., Cantrill, D. J., Moss, P. T., & Salisbury, S. W. (2014). A new species of Protophyllocladoxylon from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, Australia. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 208, 43-49. Scopus19 WoS19 |
| 2014 | Fletcher, T. L., Greenwood, D. R., Moss, P. T., & Salisbury, S. W. (2014). Paleoclimate of the late cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton formation, central-western Queensland, Australia: new observations based on clamp and bioclimatic analysis. Palaios, 29(3), 121-128. Scopus35 WoS29 |
| 2014 | Fletcher, T. L., & Salisbury, S. W. (2014). Probable oribatid mite (Acari: Oribatida) tunnels and faecal pellets in silicified conifer wood from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, Australia. Alcheringa, 38(4), 541-545. Scopus14 WoS11 |
| 2013 | Fletcher, T. L., Moss, P. T., & Salisbury, S. W. (2013). Foliar physiognomic climate estimates for the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) Lark Quarry fossil flora, central-western Queensland, Australia. Australian Journal of Botany, 61(8), 575-582. Scopus16 WoS15 |
| 2013 | Delfino, M., Scheyer, T. M., Chesi, F., Fletcher, T., Gemel, R., Macdonald, S., . . . Salisbury, S. W. (2013). Gross morphology and microstructure of type locality ossicles of Psephophorus polygonus Meyer, 1847 (Testudines, Dermochelyidae). Geological Magazine, 150(5), 767-782. Scopus19 WoS15 |
| 2010 | Fletcher, T. L., & Salisbury, S. W. (2010). New pterosaur fossils from the early cretaceous (Albian) of Queensland, Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 30(6), 1747-1759. Scopus27 WoS26 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Fletcher, T., Brown, K., Power, M. J., Glückler, R., & Morrison, K. (2025). Long-term perspectives on wildfire in the Arctic. In E. A. Fernandes (Ed.), Arctic Wildland Fire Ecology Mapping and Monitoring (ArcticFIRE). |
| 2021 | Barendregt, R. W., Matthews, J. V., Behan-Pelletier, V., Brigham-Grette, J., Fyles, J. G., Ovenden, L. E., . . . Fletcher, T. L. (2021). Biostratigraphy, Age, and Paleoenvironment of the Pliocene Beaufort Formation on Meighen Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In R. W. Barendregt, J. V. Matthews Jr, & V. Behan-Pelletier (Eds.), Biostratigraphy, Age, and Paleoenvironment of the Pliocene Beaufort Formation on Meighen Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Vol. 551, pp. 1-39). Virginia, USA: Geological Society of America. DOI Scopus5 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Fletcher, T. L. (2012). PALEOCLIMATE OF THE DINOSAUR-BEARING, MID-CRETACEOUS WINTON FORMATION, CENTRAL-WESTERN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: NEW OBSERVATIONS BASED ON LEAF MARGIN ANALYSIS, CLIMATE LEAF ANALYSIS MULTIVARIATE PROGRAM, BIOCLIMATIC ANALYSIS AND FOSSIL WOOD GROWTH INDICES. In JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY Vol. 32 (pp. 94-95). NC, N Carolina Museum Nat Sci, Raleigh: TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Haywood, A., Tindall, J., Burton, L., Chandler, M., Dolan, A., Dowsett, H., . . . Robinson, M. (2023). Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3 (Pliomip3) – Science Plan and Experimental Design. DOI |
| 2022 | Tindall, J. C., Haywood, A. M., Salzmann, U., Dolan, A. M., & Fletcher, T. (2022). The Warm Winter Paradox in the Pliocene High Latitudes. DOI |
| 2018 | Fletcher, T., Warden, L., Sinninghe Damsté, J. S., Brown, K. J., Rybczynski, N., Gosse, J., & Ballantyne, A. P. (2018). The role of elevated atmospheric CO <sub>2</sub> and increased fire in Arctic amplification of temperature during the Early to mid-Pliocene. DOI |
My research at the University of Adelaide is primarily funded by my Ramsay Fellowship, and the School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences.
My field work and travel are funded from many sources such as The Polar Continental Shelf Program, The Explorer's Club, National Geographic, the Geological Society of London, and the Environment Institute.
I am a member of the lecturing team for the third-year course, Geochronology, Fossils and Palaeoenvironments, and the first year course, Building a Habitable Planet.
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Reconstructing Holocene fire regime change on Kangaroo Island using geochemical and spectroscopic techniques | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Evandro de Souza Magalhaes |
| Date | Title | Type | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 - ongoing | Review Editor for Palaeontology | Editorial | Frontiers in Earth Science/Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution | - |
