Joshua White

Joshua first started volunteering in the Palaeontology collection at the Australian Museum whilst finishing his Bachelor of Science degree at Macquarie University in 2018. He subsequently did his honours at University of New South Wales (UNSW) where he investigated the diet of an extinct giant marsupial from Papua New Guinea by using 3D modelling and a topographic analysis. After receiving first class honours, Joshua took up work as a collections’ assistant at Geoscience Australia in 2020. During this time, he photographed, documented and recorded specimens from their unregistered palaeontology collection and helped establish the ACT Fossil emblem.

Joshua completed his PhD at the Australian Museum and Australian National University early 2025, where his research focused on examining the relationship between relationship between tooth morphology and their function in extinct marine reptiles. This involved utilising micro-CT scanning various extinct marine reptile teeth from public collections around Australia and use cutting-edge software. The results of his work will allow us to infer the diet of ancient marine reptiles.

He is currently taken up a temporary contract role as a collection officer for the Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics (ACWG). He also aims to continue publishing his research on biomechanics of extinct marine reptile teeth. His future aspiration is to become a successful museum curator.

• Australian National University: Doctor of Philosophy – 2025
• University of NSW: Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours), Palaeoscience – 2019
• Macquarie University: Bachelor of Science, majoring in Palaeobiology – 2018

• Australian Research Council Training Centre for M3D Innovation 2021-2024
• Australian Museum Research Institute Postgraduate Award 2021