Degree in Geology (1987) and PhD in Paleontology (1991). I work on Quaternary mammals, and participate at different Plio-Pleistocene projects around the World, been the co-leader of the Baza and Incarcal projects in Spain, the Oued Sarrat project in Tunisia, and the Engel Ela-Ramud project in Eritrea. I also participate in the study of the sites of Buia in Eritrea, Melka Wakena in Ethiopia, and Dmanisi in Georgia, and have worked in the past studying the sites of the Atbara River in Sudan, `Ubeidiya, Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, and Bizat Ruhama in Israel, Argentario and Pirro Nord in Italy, Vallonnet in France, and Cueva Victoria in Spain.
Research interests
I am a paleontologist working on Quaternary mammals from Europe, Asia and Africa. My main interest is to describe the ecological scenario where our ancestors, the earlier members of the genus Homo, evolving and dispersing from Africa, were able to colonize the middle latitudes of Eurasia, and survive in seasonal climates during the Pleistocene times. I have developed an intense research travelling around the world to study the African origin mammals dispersing into Eurasia, and the Eurasian origin mammals dispersing into Africa, in order to describe their systematics, phylogeny, biochronology, paleobiogeography, autoecology, and their potential ecological relationships among them and with hominins. I work on fossil hyenas, sabertoothed tigers, hunting dogs, bears, elephants and mastodonts, hippos, pigs, buffaloes, antelopes, deers, giraffes, camels, monkeys and other groups.
Selected publications
- Martínez-Navarro B, Madurell-Malapeira J, Bartolini-Lucenti S, Lordkipanidze D & Rook L 2025, 'The giant short-faced hyaena from Dmanisi: taxonomy and palaeobiology', Bollettino della societa paleontologica italiana, 64 - 1 - 107 - 131.
- Ros-Montoya S, Martinez-Navarro B, Bukhsianize M, Martín-Serra A, Patrocinio M & Lordkipanidze D 2025, 'A morphological and morphometric study of the elephant remains from Dmanisi (Early Pleistocene, Georgia)', Bollettino della societa paleontologica italiana, 64 - 1 - 189 - 205.
- Martínez-Navarro B & Rook L 2025, 'Early Pleistocene faunal assemblages and human records in southern Europe', Anthropologie, 129 - 5 - 103407.
- Fidalgo D, Rosas A, Pineda A, Ramirez-Pedraza I, Ros-Montoya S, de la Fuente DR, López-Polin L, Gómez-Morgado L, Martínez-Navarro B, Moreno-Ribas E, Garcia-Tabernero A, Huguet R, Olle A, Vallverdú J, Saladie P, 2025 Historical biology 1-20.
- Parparousi EM, Sorbelli L, Cherin M, Breda M, Blasetti A, Ferretti MP, Fidalgo D, Bartolini-Lucenti S, Moullé PE, Martínez-Navarro B, Rook L & Madurell-Malapeira J 2025, 'Biochronological and paleobiogeographic implications of the Dama-like deer sample from the latest Early Pleistocene of Cal Guardiola (NE Iberia)', Quaternary science advances, 19 - 100294.
- Tura-Poch C, Bartolini-Lucenti S, Jiangzuo QG, Prat-Vericat M, Martínez-Navarro B, Rook L & Madurell-Malapeira J 2025, 'The disappearance of European dirk-toothed cats', Palaeoworld, 34 - 1 -100856.
Selected research activities
I have excavated the Pliocene sites of Baza-1 and CSC-1, in the Baza basin (SE Spain), and have done lab work to study Plio-Pleistocene fossil fauna in Ethiopia, Georgia and Spain.
I coordinated a summer course at the National University of Distance Education - UNED in Baza, entitled "The geological, paleontological and prehistoric heritage of the Baza and Guadix basin: keys to its importance in the European and Mediterranean context."
I was awarded the "Dama de Baza" Culture Prize 2025.