Thijs van Kolfschoten (1952) is professor emeritus in mammalian palaeo- and archaeozoology and Quaternary biostratigraphy.

More information about Thijs van Kolfschoten

Office days

Thijs van Kolfschoten has no fixed schedule. Appointments can be made by email.

Research

My main fields of interest are Quaternary mammals, biostratigraphy and palaeoecology. His palaeontological research focuses on continental deposits ranging from the Early Pleistocene until the early Holocene. Early and early Middle Pleistocene studies (Tegelen, Zuurland) are related to the debate on the earliest human occupation of Europe as well as the ecological history of the earlier part of the Quaternary. A major research project is the study of the mammalian vertebrate fossils from a sequence exposed at Schöningen (Germany); a sequence that is important in the debate on late Middle Pleistocene climatic and faunal history.

Another project focuses on mammalian evolution of Late Pleistocene fauna in Central Europe based on the fossil record from Sesselfels and Buhlen (Germany). Changes in Late Pleistocene and early Holocene Mammoth Steppe ecosystem Eurasia are investigated in close collaboration with Russian colleagues. Since 2018, he is involved in the Xuchang-Lingjing research project (China). Xuchang-Lingjing is a Middle Palaeolithic open-air, archaic hominin site in northern China with abundant, well-preserved mammalian remains and bone tools. The results of these and previous research projects are published in more than 200 scientific papers.

Curriculum Vitae

Thijs van Kolfschoten (1952) is professor emeritus in mammalian palaeo- and archaeozoology and Quaternary biostratigraphy. He studied Geology and Biology and obtained his Ph.D. in Palaeontology, at the Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Utrecht (The Netherlands). After a research position at the Institute of Palaeontology, University of Bonn (Germany) he moved in 1992 to the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University.

In 2018 he is appointed as Guest Professor at Shandong University, China and member of the Palaeolithic Research Group of the Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University.

Professor van Kolfschoten is INQUA President (International Union for Quaternary Science) since July 2019. He was President of the INQUA-Subcommission on European Stratigraphy (SEQS) 1995-2003 and Vice-president of the INQUA Commission on Stratigraphy and Chronology (2003 – 2007) secretary of that commission (2007 – 2015). He was President of INQUA-The Netherlands 2003 – 2008 and was secretary of the ICS/IUGS Subcommision of Quaternary Stratigraphy 2001 - 2015. Thijs van Kolfschoten is founder of the European Quaternary Mammal Research Association (EuroMam).  

He is since 2018 Editor-in-Chief of Quaternary International (2003 – 2015), the Journal of the international Union for Quaternary Research.

Publications