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Mr Giovanni Mussini

Mr Giovanni Mussini is a Bye-Fellow at Magdalene.

Giovanni completed his pre-university education in Bologna, Italy, before undertaking his undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Biology at the University of Oxford (2018-2022). His Master's thesis focused on the early evolution of chordates - the animal group comprising vertebrates and their closest relatives. He tackled this problem by integrating evolutionary and developmental evidence with the palaeontological record, describing new specimens of the enigmatic Cambrian fossils known as "vetulicolians" and leading a redescription of the iconic Cambrian chordate Pikaia. During his undergraduate degree, he also took part in research on the early Triassic fossil record of south-western England, reconstructing an insular ecosystem from the early beginnings of the age of dinosaurs.

Giovanni's doctoral research is continuing to map the Cambrian origins of major animal bodyplans. He is describing new fossil faunas from poorly known Cambrian environments, such as periodically desiccating lagoonal environments and highly productive shallow marine settings, through the lens of "Small Carbonaceous Fossils": organically preserved fossils too small to be visible on bedding planes, but too large and delicate to be recovered through standard palynological techniques. In addition, Giovanni is continuing his investigation on chordate origins by studying new fossil vetulicolians that clarify the origins of key vertebrate adaptations.

Research Interests

  • Palaeobiology
  • Macroevolution
  • Zoology
  • Evolutionary-developmental biology
  • Astrobiology
  • Future studies

Qualifications

  • Mbiol in Biology (First Class), University of Oxford, UK
     

Career/Research Highlights

  • Prize for Best Oral Presentation. Awarded by the Italian Paleontological Society (SPI) at the 2024 Annual Meeting in Pisa, Italy.
  • 2024 Cambridge Existential Risks Initiative (CERI) Research Associate Fellowship (GBP 1800). Awarded by CERI to pursue research on existential risks from biodiversity loss and the long-term future of biological intelligence.
  • 2024 Student Research Award AASP (USD 3000). Awarded by the Palynological Society to pursue research on the Small Carbonaceous Fossils of the Bright Angel Shale of Arizona (USA).
  • 2023 Paleontological Society Award (USD 1200). Awarded by the Paleontological Society to pursue research on the Small Carbonaceous Fossils of the Bright Angel Shale of Arizona (USA).
  • 2022 Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) C-CLEAR DTP Studentship (GBP ~ 80000). Awarded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to cover full doctoral tuition, stipend, and research expenses.
  • President’s Prize for Best Oral Presentation. Awarded by the Paleontological Association at the 2022 Annual Meeting in Cork, Ireland.

Selected Publications

Mussini, G., Smith, M. P., Vinther, J., Rahman, I. A., Murdock, D. J., Harper, D. A., & Dunn, F. S. (2024). A new interpretation of Pikaia reveals the origins of the chordate body plan. Current Biology, 34, 13. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(24)00669-9

Mussini, G., Dunn, F. S. (2024). Decline and fall of the Ediacarans: late-Neoproterozoic extinctions and the rise of the modern biosphere. Biological Reviews, 99, 110-130. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/brv.13014?msockid=37ca6e04256461db00bf6152240f606d