Stephen Rowland

Request as Speaker

Request as Media Expert

Professor Emeritus of Geology

Expertise: Geology of Southern Nevada, History of Geology, Paleoecology, Paleontology, Stratigraphy

Biography

Steve Rowland studies the history of life on Earth as recorded in the fossil record, particularly the paleontology of Southern Nevada and adjacent regions. His research ranges from the earliest (late pre-Cambrian) animal fossils, to Jurassic dinosaur tracks (and those of co-existing animals) in Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire State Park, to Ice-Age fossils of the Tule Springs area. His history of geology research focuses on 18th century Russia as well as the history of the relationship between geology and religion in American history—especially as recorded in the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Mark Twain.

Search For Other Experts On

science & technology

Stephen Rowland In The News

That rattling was really a reminder: Las Vegas sits in an earthquake zone

UNLV Professor Emeritus of Geology Steve Rowland recently authored a scientific paper about an intriguing, earthquake-caused geological structure — known as a clastic pipe — which was identified by avid hiker and geology enthusiast Jeffrey Cuneo near Lake Mead. The paper was published in May in the scientific journal Geology of the Intermountain West.

Great Unconformity protection efforts stalled, but advocates hopeful

Phys.org

Las Vegas locals began a project in the 1990s to protect a geological marvel at the edge of town. They made educational signs and were joined by politicians including late Sen. Harry Reid and then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, but the area was vandalized soon after.

This Las Vegas geological wonder hasn’t been forgotten after 30 years

Grand Canyon fossils reveal secrets that will force rewrite of evolution textbooks

Earth.com

Our planet Earth has a mesmerizing history that spans across 4.6 billion years. For a majority of this immense timeframe, single-celled life reigned supreme. But, about 500 million years ago, everything changed immensely. A dramatic occurrence took place known as the Cambrian “explosion.”