Suzanne J. Hand (born 1955) is Professor Emeritus at the University of New South Wales, a teacher of geology and biology, who has a special interest in vertebrate

palaeontology Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geo ...

and modern mammals. Her research has been published in over 250 articles and books, and is especially focused on the subjects of evolutionary biology, functional morphology, phylogenetics, and biogeography. Hand is a co-leader of the research team investigating the

Riversleigh World Heritage Area Riversleigh World Heritage Area is Australia's most famous fossil location, recognised for the series of well preserved fossils deposited from the Late Oligocene to more recent geological periods. The fossiliferous limestone system is located n ...

, regarded as one of the four most important sites of fossil-bearing formations in the world. Hand has described and named more than 140 new fossil taxa, including a new order, families, tribes, genera and species of monotremes, marsupials, bats, birds, reptiles and frogs. Amongst the recognition of Hand's contributions is the specific epithet of a fossil species of bird, '' Eoanseranas handae'', discovered in the Riversleigh fossil sites. Hand was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in the

2024 King's Birthday Honours The 2024 King's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of King Charles III to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part o ...

for "distinguished service to palaeontology and zoology, particularly as a fossil bat and marsupial researcher, and to tertiary education". She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales in 2001 and a Fellow of the

Royal Society of New South Wales The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. The Governor of New South Wales is the vice-regal patron of the Society. It is the oldest learned society in the Southern Hemisphere. The Society traces its ...

in 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hand, Suzanne 1955 births Living people Australian paleontologists Officers of the Order of Australia Australian women paleontologists Academic staff of the University of New South Wales 21st-century Australian scientists 21st-century Australian women scientists Fellows of the Royal Society of New South Wales