Francis Macdonald

Professor

Office Location

Webb 2111

Specialization

Geology

Education

Ph.D. Harvard University, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 2009
B.S.
California Institute of Technology, Geological and Planetary Sciences, Pasadena, CA, 2001

 

Bio

Francis Macdonald's research focuses on the interactions of tectonics, climate, and biological evolution through Earth history. This work begins with geological mapping, and uses stratigraphic analysis, isotope geochemistry, geochronology, paleomagnetism, and paleontology to reconstruct paleoenvironments and tectonic histories. Recent projects have focused on Snowball Earth, the Great Unconformity, the impact of tropical mountains on global climate, and the tectonic evolution of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Macdonald was awarded the GSA Young Scientist Award (Donath Medal) in 2014 and the AGU Early Career Award (Macelwane Medal) in 2019. He holds a B.S. in Geology from Caltech and a Ph.D. in Geology from Harvard University.

Publications

2023

Macdonald F.A., Swanson-Hysell NL, 2023, The Franklin Large Igneous Province and Snowball Earth initiation. Elements, 19(296-301), doi: 10.2138/gselements.19.5.296.

*Pu, J.P, Smith, E.F., Ramezani, J., and Macdonald, F.A, 2023. Tonian basins record rifting of Kalahari from Laurentia and no evidence of a Kaigas glaciation, Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 624, 118472.

*Tasistro-Hart, A. and Macdonald, F.A., 2023, Phanerozoic flooding of North America and the Great Unconformity, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(37), p.e2309084120.

Martin, P., Macdonald, F.A., McQuarrie, N., Flowers, R.F., and Maffre, P., 2023. The Rise of New Guinea and fall of Neogene global temperatures, Proceedings of National Academy of Science, 120(40), p.e2306492120.

Peak, B., Flowers, R., and Macdonald, FA., 2023. Ediacaran-Ordovician tectonic and geodynamic drivers of Great Unconformity exhumation on the southern Canadian Shield, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 619, p.118334.

Li, M., Xu, Y., Sun, L., Chen,  J., Zhang, K., Li, D., Farquhar, J., Zhang. X., Sun, R., Macdonald, F.A., Grasby, S.E., Fu, Y., and Shen, Y., 2023. Deglacial volcanism and reoxygenation in the aftermath of the Sturtian Snowball Earth, Science Advances, 9(36), p.eadh9502.

*Anttila, E., Macdonald, F.A., Szymanowski, D., Schoene, B., Kylander-Clark, A. and Jones, D.S., 2023. Timing and tempo of organic carbon burial in the Monterey Formation of the Santa Barbara Basin and relationships with Miocene climate, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 620, p.118343.

Hoffman, P.F., Macdonald, F.A., Bowring, S.A., Ramezani, J., Buchwaldt, R., Hildebrand, R.S., and Whalen, J.B., 2023. Crustal eduction and slab-failure magmatism in an Orosirian (2.05−1.80 Ga) post-collisional cratonic foredeep: geochronology of Seton volcanics and Compton laccoliths, Tu Cho (Great Slave Lake), NWT, Canada, Canadian Journal of Earth Science, doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2023-001.

Macdonald, F.A., Yonkee, A., Flowers, B., and Swanson-Hysell, N., 2023, Neoproterozoic of Laurentia, in Whitmeyer, S., Kellett, D., Tikoff, B., and Williams, M., eds., Laurentia: An Evolving Continent, Geological Society of America Memoirs, 220, 50 pgs. pdf

*Hodgin, E.B., Carlotto, V., Macdonald, F.A., Schmitz, M.D., Crowley, J.L., 2023. New age constraints on the breakup of Rodinia and amalgamation of southwestern Gondwana from the Choquequirao Formation in southwestern Peru. Geological Society of London, Special Publications.

 

2022

*Pu, J.P., Macdonald, F.A., Schmitz, M.D., Rioux, M.D., Rainbird, R.H., Peak, B.A, Flowers, R.M., Bleeker, W., Hoffman, P.F., 2022. Emplacement of the Franklin large igneous province and initiation of Snowball Earth, Science Advances.

Jackson, M. and Macdonald, F.A., 2022. Origin of continental crust at the bottom of the southern hemisphere mantle, AGU Advances.

*Hodgin, E.B., Macdonald, F.A., Karabinos, P., and Crowley, J.C., 2022. A re-evaluation of the tectonic history of the Dashwoods arc terrane using in situ and ion dilution U-Pb geochronology, western Newfoundland, in New Developments in the Appalachian-Caledonian-Variscan Orogen, Geological Society of America, Special Papers.

Sundell, K.E. and Macdonald, F.A., 2022. The tectonic context of hafnium isotopes in zircon. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 584, 117426.

Isakson, V. H., Schmitz, M. D., Dehler, C. M., Macdonald, F. A., & Yonkee, A.W., 2022. A robust age model for the Cryogenian Pocatello Formation of southeastern Idaho (northwestern USA) from tandem in situ and isotope dilution U-Pb dating of volcanic tuffs and epiclastic detrital zircons. Geosphere, 18(2), 825-849.

Busch, J.F., *Hodgin, E.B., Ahm, A.-S., Husson, J.M., Macdonald, F.A., Bergmann, K.D., Higgins, J.A., and Strauss, J.V., 2022. Global and local drivers of the Ediacaran Shuram carbon isotope excursion, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 579, 117368.

 

2021

Yang, C., Rooney, A. D., Condon, D. J., Li, X. H., Grazhdankin, D. V., Bowyer, Hu, C., Macdonald, F.A. and Zhu, M., 2021. The tempo of Ediacaran evolution. Science Advances, 7(45), eabi9643.

Peak, B.A., Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A., Cottle, J., 2021. (U-Th)/He thermochronology reveals pre-Great Unconformity paleotopography in the Grand Canyon region, Geology, 49(12), 1462-1466.

Park, Y., Maffre, P., Godderis, Y., Macdonald, F.A., *Anttila, E.A., and Swanson-Hysell, N.L., 2021. Reply to Rugenstein et al.: Marine Sr and Os records do not preclude Neogene cooling through emergence of the Southeast Asian islands. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(30).

Ahm, A.-S., Bjerrum, C.J., Hoffman, P.F., Macdonald, F.A., Maloof, A.C., Rose, C.V., Strauss, J.V., and Higgins, J.A., 2021. The Ca and Mg isotope record of the Cryogenian Trezona carbon isotope excursion, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 568, 117002.

*Hodgin, E.B., Macdonald F.A., Crowley, J.C., and Schmitz, M.D., 2021. Testing the large orogen-parallel displacement hypothesis along the Humber Margin of Newfoundland with tandem in situ and isotope dilution U-Pb zircon and titanite geochronology, American Journal of Science 321(7), 1045-1079.

Sturrock, C.P, Flowers, R.M., and Macdonald, F.A., 2021. The Late Great Unconformity of the Central Canadian Shield, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 22(6), e2020GC009567.

Kalderon-Asael, B., Katchinoff, J.A., Planavsky, N.J., Hood, A.V.S., Dellinger, M., Bellefroid, E.J., Jones, D.S., Hofmann, A., Ossa, F.O., Macdonald, F.A., Wang, C., Isson, T.T., Murphy, J.G., Higgins, J.A., West, A.J., Wallace, M.W., Asael, D., and von Strandmann, P.A.E.P., 2021. A lithium-isotope perspective on the evolution of carbon and silicon cycles. Nature, 595(7867), 394-398.

Park, Y., Swanson‐Hysell, N. L., Xian, H., Zhang, S., Condon, D. J., Fu, H., & Macdonald, F. A., 2021. A Consistently High‐Latitude South China From 820 to 780 Ma: Implications for Exclusion From Rodinia and the Feasibility of Large‐Scale True Polar Wander. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 126(6), e2020JB021541.

Hoffman, P., Halverson, G.P., Schrag, D.P., Higgins, J.A., Domack, E.W., Macdonald, F.A., Pruss, S.B., Blättler, C.L., Crockford, P.W., Hodgin, E.B., Bellefroid, E.J., Johnson, B.W., Hodgskiss, M.S.W., Lamothe, K.G., *LoBianco, S.J.C., Busch, J.F., Howes, B.J., Greenman, W., *Nelson, L.L., 2021, Snowballs in Africa: sectioning a long-lived Neoproterozoic carbonate platform and its bathyal foreslope (NW Namibia), Earth-Science Reviews, 219, 103616.

McClelland, W.C., Strauss, J.V., Colpron, M., Gilloti, J.A., Faehnrich, K., Malone, S., Gehrels, G.E., Macdonald, F.A., and Oldow, J.S., 2021. ‘Taters versus Sliders: Evidence for a long-lived history of strike-slip displacement along the Canadian Arctic Transform System (CATS), GSA Today, 31(7), 4–11.

Nelson, L.L., Ahm, A.-S.C., Macdonald, F.A., Higgins, J.A., *Smith, E.F., 2021. Fingerprinting global and local controls on the Cryogenian carbon cycle with Mg and Ca isotopes in carbonates, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 566, 116956.

*Hodgin, E.B., Gutiérrez-Marco, J.C., Colmenar, J., Macdonald, F.A., Carlotto, V., Crowley, J.C., Newmann, J.R., 2021. Cannibalization of a late Cambrian backarc in southern Peru: new insights into the assembly of southwestern Gondwana, Gondwana Research, 92, 202-227.

 

2020

Park, Y., Maffre, P., Godderis, Y., Macdonald, F.A., *Anttila, E.A., and Swanson-Hysell, N.L., 2020. Emergence of the Southeast Asian islands as a driver for Neogene cooling, Proceedings of National Academy of Science, 117(41), 25319-25326.

Macdonald, F.A., 2020. Deep-time paleoclimate proxies, AGU Advances, 1(3), e2020AV000244.

*Bold, U., Ahm, A-S.C., Schrag, D.P., Higgins, J.A., Jamsrand, E., and Macdonald, F.A., 2020. Effect of dolomitization on isotopic records from Neoproterozoic carbonates in southwestern Mongolia, Precambrian Research, 350, 105902.

Laakso, T.A., Waldeck, A., Johnston, D.T., Macdonald, F.A., 2020. Volcanic controls on seawater sulfate over the last 100 Ma, Proceedings of National Academy of Science., 117(35), 21118-21124.

Liljestrand, F.L., Macdonald, F.A., Schrag, D.P., Laakso, T.A., and Johnston, D.T., 2020. Isotopically anomalous carbon cycling in the aftermath of the Marinoan Snowball Earth, Geobiology, 18(4), 476-485.

*Nelson, L.L., *Smith, E.F., *Hodgin, E.B., Crowley, J., Schmitz, M., and Macdonald, F.A., 2020. Precise geochronological constraints on Neoproterozoic rifting and onset of the Marinoan glaciation from the Kingston Peak Formation in Death Valley, California, Geology, doi: 9443/10.1130/G47668.1

Liljestrand, F.L., Knoll, A.H., Tosca, N.J., Cohen, P.A., Macdonald, F.A., Peng, Y., Johnston, D.J., 2020. The triple oxygen isotope composition of Precambrian chert, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 537, 116167.

*Rooney, A.D., Condon, D.J., Zhu, M., and Macdonald, F.A., 2020. U-Pb and Re-Os geochronology tracks stratigraphic condensation in the Sturtian Snowball aftermath, Geology, 48(6), 625-629.

Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A., Siddoway, C.S., and Havranek, R., 2020. Diachronous development of Great Unconformities before Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth, Proceedings of National Academy of Science, 117 (19), 10172-10180.

Park, Y., Swanson-Hysell, N.L., and Macdonald, F.A., 2021. Evaluating the connections between large igneous province paleogeography and climate from the Cryogenian to present, in: Ernst, R.E., Dickson, A.J., Bekker, A. (eds). Large Igneous Provinces: A Driver of Global Environmental and Biotic Changes. AGU Geophysical Monograph 255 (7), 149-164.

*Eyster, A.E., Weiss, B.P., Karlstrom, K., Kremers, J., and Macdonald, F.A., 2020. Paleomagnetism of the Chuar Group and evaluation of the 780-720 Ma apparent polar wander path of Laurentia with implications for the makeup and breakup of Rodinia, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 132 (3-4), 710-738.

 

2019

Galili, N., Shemesh, A., Yam, R., Brailovsky, I., Sela-Adler, M., Schuster, E.M., Collom, C., Bekker, A., Préat, A., Rudmin, M., Trela, W., Planavsky, N., Macdonald, F.A., Sturesson, U., Heikoop, J.M, Aurell, M., Ramajo, J., and Halevy, I., 2019. The geologic history of seawater oxygen isotopes from marine iron oxides, Science, 365 (6452), 469-473.   

Macdonald, F.A., Swanson-Hysell, N.L., Park, Y., Lisiecki, L., and Jagoutz, O., 2019. Arc-continent collision in the tropics set Earth’s climate state, Science, 364(6436): 181-184.

Ahm, A.-S.C., Maloof, A.C., Macdonald, F.A., Hoffman, P.F., Bjerrum, C.J., Bold, U., Rose, C.V., *Strauss, J.V., and Higgins, J.A., 2019. An early diagenetic deglacial origin for basal Ediacaran “cap dolostones”, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 506: 292-307.

Anderson, R.P., McMahon, S., Macdonald, F.A., Jones, D.S., and Briggs, D.E.G., 2019. Paleobiology of latest Ediacaran phosphorites from the upper Khesen Formation, Khuvsgul Group, northern Mongolia, Journal of Systematic Paleontology.

Pruss, S.B., Dwyer, C.H., *Smith, E.F., Macdonald, F.A, and Tosca, N.J., 2019. Phosphatized early Cambrian archaeocyaths and small shelly fossils (SSFs) of southwestern Mongolia, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 513: 166-177.

 

2018

Pruss, S.B., Blättler, C., Macdonald, F.A., and Higgins, J.A., 2018. Calcium isotope evidence that the earliest animal biomineralizers formed aragonite shells, Geology, 46(9): 763-766.

*Strauss, J.V., Macdonald, F.A., and McClelland, W.C., 2018. Pre-Mississippian stratigraphy and provenance of the North Slope subterrane of Arctic Alaska I: Platformal rocks of the northeastern Brooks Range and their significance in circum-Arctic evolution, in: Piepjohn, K., McClelland, W.C., Reinhardt, L. and Strauss, J.V., eds., Circum-Arctic Structural Events (CASE): Tectonic evolution of the Arctic margins and trans-Arctic links with adjacent orogens, Geological Society of America Special Papers, 451.

*Nelson L.L., *Strauss, J.V., Crockford, P.W., Cox, G.M., Johnson, B.G., Ward, W., Colpron, M., McClelland, W.C., and Macdonald, F.A., 2018. Geochemical constraints on the provenance of pre-Mississippian sedimentary rocks in the North Slope of Yukon and Alaska, in: Piepjohn, K., McClelland, W.C., Reinhardt, L. and Strauss, J.V., eds., Circum-Arctic Structural Events (CASE): Tectonic evolution of the Arctic margins and trans-Arctic links with adjacent orogens, Geological Society of America Special Papers, 451.

Liu, C., Wang, Z., and Macdonald, F., 2018. Sr and Mg isotope geochemistry of the basal Ediacaran cap limestone sequence of Mongolia: Implications for carbonate diagenesis, mixing of glacial meltwaters, and seawater chemistry in the aftermath of Snowball Earth, Chemical Geology, 491: 1-13.

*Eyster, A.E., Ferri, F., Schmitz, M. D., and Macdonald, F.A., 2018. One diamictite and two rifts: Stratigraphy and geochronology of the Gataga Volcanics of northern British Columbia, American Journal of Science, 318.

*Rooney, A.D., Austermann, J., Smith, E.F., Yang, L., Selby, D., Dehler, C.M., Schmitz, M.D., Karlstrom, K.E., and Macdonald, F.A., 2018. Coupled Re-Os and U-Pb geochronology of the Neoproterozoic Chuar Group, Grand Canyon, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 130(7-8): 1085-1098.

Cox, G.M., Halverson, G.P., Denyszyn, S., Foden, J., and Macdonald, F.A., 2018. Cryogenian magmatism along the northwestern margin of Laurentia: plume or rift? Precambrian Research, 319: 144-157.

Macdonald, F.A., Schmitz, M.D., *Strauss, J.V., Halverson, G.P., Gibson, T.M., *Eyster, A., Cox, G., Mamrol, P., and Crowley, J.C., 2018. Cryogenian of Yukon, Descent into the Cryogenian Special Issue, Precambrian Research, 266: 194-211.

 

2017

Moore, K.R., Bosak, T., Macdonald, F.A., Du, K., Newman, S., and Pruss, S., 2017. Pyritized Cryogenian cyanobacterial fossils from Arctic Alaska, Palaios, 32: 769–778.

Anderson, R.P., Macdonald, F.A., Jones, D.S., McMahon, S., and Briggs, D.E.G., 2017. Doushantuo-type microfossils from latest Ediacaran phosphorites of northern Mongolia, Geology, 45(12): 1079-1082.

Hoffman, P.F., Abbot, D.S., Ashkenazy, Y., Benn, D.I., Cohen, P.A., Cox, G.M., Creveling, J.R., Donnadieu, Y. Erwin, D.H., Fairchild, I.J., Ferreira, D., Goodman, J.C., Halverson, G.P., Jansen, M.F., Le Hir, G., Love, G.D., Macdonald, F.A., Maloof, A.C., Ramstein, G., Rose, G.E.J., Rose, C.V., Tziperman, E., Voigt, A., and Warren, S.G., 2017. Climate dynamics of Snowball Earth and Cryogenian geology–geobiology, Science Advances, 3 (11): e1600983.

Swanson-Hysell, N.L. and Macdonald, F.A., 2017. Tropical weathering of the Taconic orogeny as a driver for Ordovician cooling, Geology, 45(8): 719-722.

*Smith, E.F., Macdonald, F.A., *Petach, T.A., and *Bold, U., 2017. Integrated stratigraphic, geochemical, and paleontological late Ediacaran to early Cambrian records from southwestern Mongolia: Reply, Geological Society of America Bulletin, B31763.1.

Macdonald, F.A., Karabinos, P., Crowley, J.L., *Hodgin, E., Crockford, P.W., and Delano, J., 2017. Bridging the gap between the foreland and the hinterland II: Geochronology and tectonic setting of Ordovician magmatism and basin formation on the Laurentian margin of New England and Newfoundland, American Journal of Science, 371 (5): 555-596.

Karabinos, P., Macdonald, F.A., and Crowley, J.L., 2017. Bridging the gap between the foreland and the hinterland I: Geochronology and plate tectonic geometry of Ordovician magmatism and terrane accretion on the Laurentian margin of New England, American Journal of Science, 317 (5): 515-554.

Yang, J., Jansen, M.F., Macdonald, F.A., and Abbot, D.S., 2017. Persistence of a freshwater layer in the surface ocean after Snowball Earth, Geology, 45 (7): 615-618.

Macdonald, F.A. and Wordsworth, R., 2017. Initiation of Snowball Earth with volcanic sulfur aerosol emissions, Geophysics Research Letters, 44 (4): 1938-1946.

Miller, A.J., *Strauss, J.V., Halverson, G.P., Macdonald, F.A., Johnston, D.T., and Sperling, E.A., 2017. Tracking the onset of Phanerozoic-style redox-sensitive trace metal enrichment: New data from basal Ediacaran post-glacial strata in NW Canada, Chemical Geology, 475: 24-37.

Moore, K.R., Bosak, T., Macdonald, F.A., Lahr, D.J.G., Newman, S., Settens, C., and Pruss, S.B., 2017. Biologically agglutinated eukaryotic microfossils from Cryogenian cap carbonates, Geobiology, 15 (4): 499-515.

Lau, K.V., Macdonald, F.A., Maher, K., and Payne, J.L., 2017. Uranium isotope evidence for temporary ocean oxygenation in the aftermath of the Sturtian Snowball Earth, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 458: 282-292.

 

2016

Anderson, R.P., McMahon, S., *Bold, U., Macdonald, F.A., and Briggs, D.E.G., 2016. Palaeobiology of the early Ediacaran Shuurgat Formation, Zavkhan Terrane, south-western Mongolia, Journal of Systematic Paleontology, 15 (11): 947-968.

*Pu, J., Bowring, S.A., Ramezani, J., Myrow, P., Landing, E., Raub, T.D., Mills, A., *Hodgin, E.B., and Macdonald, F.A., 2016. Dodging Snowballs: Geochronology of the Gaskiers glaciation and the first appearance of the Ediacaran biota, Geology, 44 (11): 955-958.

*Smith, E.F., *Nelson, L.L., Strange, M.A., *Eyster, A.E., Roland, S.M., Schrag, D.P., and Macdonald, F.A., 2016. The end of the Ediacaran: Two new exceptionally preserved body fossil assemblages from Mount Dunfee, Nevada, USA, Geology, 44 (11): 911-914.

*Bold, U., Crowley, J.L., *Smith, E.F., Sambuu, O., and Macdonald, F.A., 2016. Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the Zavkhan terrane of Mongolia: Implications for continental growth in the Central Asian orogenic belt, Lithosphere, 8 (6): 729-750.

Kilian, T.M., Swanson-Hysell, N.L., *Bold, U., Crowley, J.L., and Macdonald, F.A., 2016. Paleomagnetism of the Teel basalts from the Zavkhan terrane: Implications for Paleozoic paleogeography in Mongolia and growth of continental crust, Lithosphere, 8 (6): 699-715.

*Eyster, A.E., Fu, R., *Strauss, J.V., Weiss, B.P., Roots, C.F., Halverson, G.P., Evans, D.A.D., and Macdonald, F.A., 2016. Paleomagnetic evidence for a large rotation of the Yukon block relative to Laurentia: Implications for a low-latitude Sturtian glaciation and the breakup of Rodinia, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 129 (1-2): 38-58.

Cox, G. M., Halverson, G. P., Stevenson, R.S., Théou-Hubert, L., Vokaty, M., Poirier, A., Kunzmann, M., Li, Z-X, *Strauss, J.V., and Macdonald, F.A., 2016. Conginental flood basalt weathering as a trigger for Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 446: 89-99.   

Jagoutz, O., Macdonald, F.A., and Royden, L., 2016. Low-latitude arc-continent collision as a driver for global cooling, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113 (18): 4935-4940.

*Bold, U., *Smith, E.F., *Rooney, A.D., Bowring, S.A., Dudás, F.Ö., Ramezani, J., Buchwaldt, R., Crowley, J.C., Schrag, D.P., and Macdonald, F.A., 2016. Neoproterozoic stratigraphy of the Zavkhan terrane of Mongolia: The backbone for Cryogenian and early Ediacaran chemostratigraphic records, American Journal of Science, 316: 1-63.

Crockford, P.W.,  Cowie, B.R., Johnston, D.T.,  Hoffman, P.F., Sugiyama, I., Pellerin, A., Bui, T.-H., Hayles, J., Halverson, G.P.,  Macdonald, F.A., and Wing, B.A., 2016. Triple oxygen and multiple sulfur isotope constraints on the evolution of the post-Marinoan sulfur cycle, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 435: 74-83.

 

2015

Sperling, E.A., Carbonne, C., *Strauss, J.V., Johnston, D.T., Narbonne, G.M., and Macdonald, F.A., 2016. Oxygen, facies, and secular controls on the appearance of Cryogenian and Ediacaran body and trace fossils in the Mackenzie Mountains of northwestern Canada, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 128 (3-4): 558-575.

*Smith, E.F., *Petach, T.A., *Bold, U., Schrag, D.P., and Macdonald, F.A., 2015. Integrated stratigraphic, geochemical, and paleontological late Ediacaran to early Cambrian records from southwestern Mongolia, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 128 (3-4): 442-468.

*Strauss, J.V., Macdonald, F.A., Halverson, G.P., Tosca, N.J., Schrag, D.P., and Knoll, A.H., 2015. Stratigraphic evolution of the Neoproterozoic Callison Lake Formation: Linking the break-up of Rodinia to the Islay carbon isotope excursion, Amercian Journal of Science, 315: 881-944.

Cohen, P.A., and Macdonald, F.A., 2015. The Proterozoic record of eukaryotes, Paleobiology, 41 (4): 610-632.

Sperling, E.A., Wolock, C., Morgan, A.S., Gill, B.C., Halverson, G.P., Macdonald, F.A., Knoll, A.H., and Johnston, D.T., 2015. Statistical analysis of iron geochemical data suggests limited late Proterozoic oxygenation, Nature, 523 (7561): 451-454.

*Rooney, A.D., *Strauss, J.V., Brandon, A.D., and Macdonald, F.A., 2015. A Cryogenian chronology: Two long-lasting, synchronous Neoproterozoic glaciations, Geology, 43 (5): 459-462.

Cox, G.M., *Strauss, J.V., Halverson, G.P., Stevenson, R.S., Schmitz, M.D., McClelland, W.C., and Macdonald, F.A., 2015. Kikiktat Volcanics of Arctic Alaska  – Melting of harzburgitic sub-continental lithospheric mantle associated with the Franklin Large Igneous Province, Lithosphere, 7 (3): 275-95.

Carbone, C., Narbonne, G.M., Macdonald., F.A., and Boag, T., 2015. New Ediacaran fossils from the uppermost Blueflower Formation, northwest Canada: Disentangling biostratigraphy and paleoecology, Journal of Paleontology, 89 (02): 281-291.

*Smith, E.F., Macdonald, F.A., Crowley, J.C., and *Hodgin, E.B., 2015. Tectonostratigraphic evolution of the c. 780-730 Ma Beck Spring Dolomite: Basin Formation in the core of Rodinia, in: Li, Z. X., Evans, D.A.D. & Murphy, J. B. (eds) Supercontinent Cycles Through Earth History, v. 424 (1). Geological Society, London, Special Publications, p. 213-239.

Cohen, P.A., Macdonald, F.A., Pruss, S.B., Matys, E., and Bosak, T., 2015. Fossils of putative marine algae from the Cryogenian glacial interlude of Mongolia, Palaios, 30 (3): 238-247.

 

2014

Liu, C., Wang, Z., Raub, T., Macdonald, F.A., and Evans, D.A.D., 2014. Neoproterozoic cap dolostone deposition in a stratified glacial meltwater plume, Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 404: 22-32.

*Strauss, J.V., *Rooney, A.D., Macdonald, F.A., Brandon, A.D., and Knoll, A.H., 2014. 740 Ma vase-shaped microfossils from Yukon, Canada: Implications for Neoproterozoic chronology and biostratigraphy, Geology, 42 (8): 659-662.

Macdonald, F.A., Ryan-Davis, J., Coish, R.A., Crowley, J.C., and Karabinos, P., 2014. A newly identified Gondwanan terrane in the Northern Appalachian Mountains: Implications for the Taconic orogeny and closure of the Iapetus Ocean, Geology, 42 (6): 539-542.

Macdonald, F.A., Pruss, S.B., and *Strauss, J.V., 2014. Trace fossils with spreite from the late Ediacaran Nama Group, Namibia: Complex feeding patterns five million years before the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary, Journal of Paleontology, 88 (2): 299-308.

*Rooney, A.D., Macdonald, F.A., Dudás, F.Ö., Hallmann, C., *Strauss, J.V., and Selby, D., 2014. Re-Os geochronology and coupled Os-Sr isotope constraints on the Sturtian Snowball Earth, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111 (1): 51-56.

 

2013

Cox, G. M., Halverson, G. P., Minarik, W. G., Le Heron, D. P., Macdonald, F. A., Bellefroid, E. J., and *Strauss, J. V., 2013. Neoproterozoic Iron Formation: An evaluation of its temporal, environmental and tectonic significance, Chemical Geology, 362: 232-249.

Bosak, T., Mariotti, G., Macdonald, F.A., Perron, J.T., and Pruss, S.B., 2013. Microbial sedimentology of stromatolites in Neoproterozoic cap carbonates, in: Ecosystems Paleobiology and Geobiology, Paleontological Special Papers, v. 19, Bush, A.M, Pruss, S.B., Payne, J.L., Editors, The Paleontological Society, p. 1-25.

*Strauss, J.V., Macdonald, F.A., Taylor, J.F., Repetski, J.E., and McClelland, W.C., 2013. Laurentian origin for the North Slope of Alaska: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the Arctic, Lithosphere, 5 (5): 477-482.

Johnston, D.T., Poulton, S.W., Tosca, N.J., O’Brien, T.O., Halverson, G.P., Schrag, D.P., and Macdonald, F.A., 2013. Searching for an oxygenation event in the fossiliferous Ediacaran of northwestern Canada, Chemical Geology, 362: 273-286.

Macdonald, F.A., *Strauss, J.V., Sperling, E., Halverson, G.P., Narbonne, G.M., Johnston, D.T., Kunzmann, M., Schrag, D.P., and Higgins, J.A., 2013. The stratigraphic relationship between the Shuram carbon isotope excursion, the oxygenation of Neoproterozoic oceans, and the first appearance of the Ediacara biota and bilaterian trace fossils in northwestern Canada, Chemical Geology, 362: 250-272.

Macdonald, F.A., Prave, A.R., *Petterson, R., *Smith, E.F., Pruss, S.B., Oates, K., *Waechter, F., *Trotzuk, D., and Fallick, A.E, 2013. The Laurentian record of Neoproterozoic glaciation, tectonism, and eukaryotic evolution in Death Valley, California, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 125 (7-8): 1203-1223.

Sperling, E.A., Knoll, A.H., Halverson, G.P., Macdonald, F.A., and Johnston, D.T., 2013. A basin redox transect at the dawn of animal life, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 371-372: 143-155.

Gibson, T.M., Myrow, P., Macdonald, F.A., and Minjin, C., 2013. Depositional history, tectonics, and detrital zircon geochronology of Ordovician and Devonian strata in southwestern Mongolia, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 125: 877-893.

Ashkenazy, Y., Gildor, H., Losch, M., Macdonald, F. A., Schrag, D. P., and Tziperman, E., 2013. Dynamics of a snowball ocean, Nature, 495: 90-93.

Dalton, L.A., Bosak, T., Macdonald, F.A., Lahr, D.J.G., and Pruss, S.B., 2013. Preservational and morphological variability of assemblages of agglutinated eukaryotes in Cryogenian cap carbonates of northern Namibia. Palaios, 28: 67-79.

Schrag, D.P., Higgins, J.A., Macdonald, F.A., and Johnston, D.T., 2013. Authigenic carbonate and the history of the global carbon cycle, Science, 239: 540-543.

 

2012

Macdonald, F.A., Halverson, G.P., *Strauss, J.V., *Smith, E.F., Cox, G.M., Sperling, E.A., and Roots, C.F., 2012. Early Neoproterozoic basin formation in the Yukon, Canada: Implications for the make-up and break-up of Rodinia. Paul F. Hoffman Series, Geoscience Canada, 39: 77-99.

Johnston, D.T., Macdonald, F.A., Gill, B.C., Hoffman, P.F., and Schrag, D.P., 2012. Uncovering the Neoproterozoic carbon cycle, Nature, 483 (7389): 320-323.

Bosak, T., Lahr, D.J.G., Pruss, S.B., Macdonald, F.A., Gooday, A.J., Dalton, L., and Matys, E., 2012. Possible early foraminiferans in post-Sturtian (716-635 Ma) cap carbonates, Geology, 40 (1): 67-70.

 

2011

Bosak, T., Macdonald, F.A., Lahr, D.J.G., and Matys, E., 2011. Putative Cryogenian ciliates from Mongolia, Geology, 39 (12): 1123-1126.

Bosak, T., Lahr, D.J.G., Pruss, S.B., Macdonald, F.A., Dalton, L., and Matys, E., 2011. Agglutinated tests in post-Sturtian cap carbonates of Namibia and Mongolia, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 308: 29-40.

Cohen, P.A., Schopf, J.W., Butterfield, N.J., Kudryavtsev, A., and Macdonald, F.A., 2011. Phosphate biomineralization in mid-Neoproterozoic protists, Geology, 39 (6): 539-542.

Tosca, N.J., Macdonald, F.A., *Strauss, J.V., Johnston, D.T., and Knoll, A.H., 2011. Sedimentary talc in Neoproterozoic carbonate successions. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 306: 11-22.

Hoffman, P.F., Macdonald, F.A., and Halverson, G.P., 2011. Chemical sediments associated with Neoproterozoic glaciation: iron formation, cap carbonate, barite and phosphorite, Ch. 5, in The Geologic Record of Neoproterozoic Glaciations, v. 36 (1), Arnaud, E., Halverson, G.P. and Shields-Zhou, G., Editors, Geological Society, London, Memoirs, p. 67-80.

Macdonald, F.A., 2011. The Tsagaan Oloom Formation, southwestern Mongolia, Ch. 29, in: The Geological Record of Neoproterozoic Glaciations, v. 36 (1), Arnaud, E., Halverson, G.P. and Shields-Zhou, G., Editors, Geological Society, London, Memoirs, p. 331-337.

Macdonald, F.A. and Jones, D.S., 2011. The Khubsugul Group, northern Mongolia, Ch. 30, in: The Geological Record of Neoproterozoic Glaciations, v. 36 (1), Arnaud, E., Halverson, G.P. and Shields-Zhou, G., Editors, Geological Society, London, Memoirs, p. 339-345.

Macdonald, F.A., 2011. The Hula Hula Diamictite and Katakturuk Dolomite, Arctic Alaska, Ch. 34, in: The Geological Record of Neoproterozoic Glaciations, v. 36 (1), Arnaud, E., Halverson, G.P. and Shields-Zhou, G., Editors, Geological Society, London, Memoirs, p. 389-396.

Macdonald, F.A. and Cohen, P.A., 2011. The Tatonduk inlier, Alaska-Yukon border, Ch. 35 in The Geological Record of Neoproterozoic Glaciations, v. 36 (1), Arnaud, E., Halverson, G.P. and Shields-Zhou, G., Editors, Geological Society, London, Memoirs, p. 389-396.

 

2010

Macdonald, F.A., Schmitz, M.D., Crowley, J.L., Roots, C.F., Jones, D.S., Maloof, A.C., *Strauss, J.V., Cohen, P.A., Johnston, D.T., and Schrag, D.P., 2010. Calibrating the Cryogenian, Science, 327: 1241-1243.

Macdonald, F.A., *Strauss, J.V., Rose, C.V., Dudás, F.Ö., and Schrag, D.P., 2010. Stratigraphy of the Port Nolloth Group of Namibia and South Africa and implications for the age of Neoproterozoic iron formations, American Journal of Science, 310: 862-888.

Pruss, S.B., Macdonald, F.A., McLane, M., and Hoffman, P.F., 2010. Microbial facies in a Sturtian cap carbonate, the Rasthof Formation, Otavi Group, northern Namibia. Precambrian Research, 181: 187-198.

Hoffman, P.F. and Macdonald, F.A., 2010. Sheet-crack cements and early regression in Marinoan (635 Ma) cap dolostones: Regional benchmarks of vanishing ice-sheets? Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 300: 374-384.

Macdonald, F.A., Cohen, P.A., Dudás, F.Ö., and Schrag, D.P., 2010. Early Neoproterozoic scale microfossils in the Lower Tindir Group of Alaska and the Yukon Territory, Geology, 38: 43-146.

 

2009

Macdonald, F.A., Jones, D.S., and Schrag, D.P., 2009. Stratigraphic and tectonic implications of a new glacial diamictite-cap carbonate couplet in southwestern Mongolia. Geology, 37: 123-126.

Macdonald, F.A., Schrag, D. P., McClelland, W.C., and Macdonald, W. P., 2009. Neoproterozoic glaciation on a carbonate platform margin in Arctic Alaska and the origin of the North Slope subterrane. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 121: 448-473.

 

2008-2000

Macdonald, F.A., Mitchell, K., and Stewart, A.J., 2005. Amelia Creek: A Proterozoic impact structure in the Davenport Ranges, Northern Territory. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 52: 631-640.

Macdonald, F.A., Wingate, M.T.D., and Mitchell, K., 2005. Geology and age of the Glikson impact structure, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 52: 641-651.

Milton, D.L. and Macdonald, F.A., 2005. Goat Paddock, Western Australia: An impact crater near the simple-complex transition. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 52: 691-698.

Shoemaker, C.S. and Macdonald, F.A., 2005. The Shoemaker legacy to the Australian impact record, Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 52: 477-479.

Shoemaker, E.M., Macdonald, F.A., and Shoemaker, C.S., 2005. Geology of five small Australian impact craters, Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 52: 529-544.

Macdonald, F.A., Bunting, J.A., and Cina, S.E., 2003. Yarabubba – a large, deeply eroded major impact structure in the Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 213: 791-795.

Weiss, B.P., Kirschvink, J.L., Baudenbacher, F.J., Vali, H., Peters, N.T., Macdonald, F.A., and Wikswo, J.P., 2000. A low temperature transfer of ALH84001 from Mars to Earth, Science, 290: 791-795.

 

[*student or postdoc]