Studies of Burgess Shale Type Fossils

With support from the National Science Foundation Lieberman studied evolutionary and biogeographic patterns in Middle Cambrian softbodied faunas. This work was conducted with his former postdoc, Jon Hendricks. They described new taxa from these localities and have also conducted phylogenetic analyses on a series of new arachnomorph taxa that have been recovered from these localities. In addition they conducted biogeographic studies on these taxa using phylogenetic biogeographic analyses and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the latter in conjunction with Alycia Stigall at Ohio University. Finally, they documented beautifully preserved jellyfish from the Middle Cambrian of Utah. These appear to represent modern crown groups, including modern orders, families, and in one case a genus.  He has continued work on Cambrian soft-bodied faunas, with various scientists including Allison Daley, Greg Edgecombe, and Stephen Pates.