James E. Sorauf

PhD (1962) University of Kansas
Science 1, Room 171
(607) 777-2561

Sorauf is presently retired from teaching, but is available to lecture. In the past several years he has given lectures on Modern and Fossil corals at the University of South Florida (Tampa) and the U.S. Geological Survey in St. Petersburg, FL. Jim has also lectured on topics such as the Grand Canyon and the Devonian System at U.S.F. (Tampa).

Paleontology: morphology and systematics of Rugosa and Scleractinia; diagenesis of coral skeletal carbonate; biomineralization of modern and fossil corals.

Active research is focusing on the microstructure and microarchitecture of modern reef corals, with present emphasis on annual density banding, its causes and its implications. This is almost entirely a study by Scanning Electron Microscope of the fine details of reef coral skeleton. Research also continues on Permian corals from the island of Timor, Indonesia, with a publication forthcoming in the Australasian journal Alcheringa. Research on modern reef corals is conducted in the Florida Keys and at the United States Geological Survey in St. Petersburg, Florida, during winter months and involves research personnel and technical facilities of the U.S.G.S. At present, two manuscripts are in press that deal with this work.

Sorauf, J. E., 1998. Frasnian (Upper Devonian) rugose corals from the Lime Creek and Shell Rock Formations of Iowa. Bulletins of American Paleontology, 355: 1-159, 57 pl.
Sorauf, J. E., 1999. Skeletal microstructure, geochemistry, and organic remnants in Cretaceous scleractinian corals: Santonian Gosau Beds of Gosau, Austria. Journal of Paleontology, 73: 1029-1041.
Sorauf, J. E., 2001. External morphology and paleobiology of Heliophyllum halli (Zoantharia, Rugosa), from the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group of New York State. Journal of Paleontology, 75: 24-33.
Cuif, J. P., and Sorauf, J. E., 2001. Biomineralization and diagenesis in the Scleractinia, Part 1, biomineralization. Bulletins of the Tohoku University Museum, 1:144-151.
Sorauf, J. E., and Cuif, J. E., 2001. Biomineralization and diagenesis in the Scleractinia, Part 2, diagenesis. Bulletins of the Tohoku University Museum, 1:152-163.
Oliver, W. A., Jr., and Sorauf, J. E., 2002. The Genus Heliophyllum (Anthozoa, Rugosa) in the Upper Middle Devonian (Givetian) of New York. Bulletins of American Paleontology, 362: 1-72, 31 pl.
Webb, G. E. and Sorauf, J. E., 2002. Zigzag microstructure in rugose corals: A possible indicator of relative seawater Mg/Ca ratios. Geology, 30: 415-418.
Sorauf, J. E. and Webb, G. E., 2003. The origin and significance of zigzag microstructure in Late Paleozoic Lophophyllidium (Anthozoa, Rugosa). Journal of Paleontology, 77: 16-30.