• Daniel Lehrmann is the Gertrude and Walter Pyron Professor in the Geosciences Department at Trinity University, where he teaches courses in paleontology and sedimentary geology. He is originally from Wisconsin where he received his bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and his master's degree in geology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas.

    His research focuses on the factors controlling the evolution of marine sedimentary basins, the evolution of carbonate platforms and tropical reefs, changes in Earth’s chemical and biological systems, diagenetic alteration of carbonate sediments, and major events in the history of life such as the end-Permian mass extinction.

    Techniques employed include field work, satellite image analysis, GIS, petrography including fluid inclusion geothermometry, CL and point counting, geochemistry, biostratigraphy, paleoecology, database assembly, forward stratigraphic modeling, and statistical analysis.

    Much of this research has focused on the factors controlling basin and carbonate platform evolution in the Nanpanjiang Basin of south China, but has also included studies of additional basins in north China and in sedimentary systems from numerous localities around the world such as Indonesia, Japan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico. 

    Recent studies in central and western Texas include sedimentologic and geochemical studies of microbial carbonate reefs in the Cambrian Wilberns Formation, analysis of the geochemistry and sedimentology of Dinosaur Track sites in the Lower Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation, and sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Formation.

    Through research collaborations Lehrmann has co-advised graduate students at Rice University, Stanford University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

    • Ph.D. in Geology, University of Kansas
    • M.S. in Geology, University of Wisconsin, Madison
    • B.S. in Geology, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh

    • Adams, T. L., Price, D., Godet, A., Neuman, J., Davis, C., Lehrmann A. A.*, Lehrmann, D. J., 2025, Revisiting Bird’s swimming sauropod: new insights on Manus-dominated Dinosaur Tracks from the Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera, Texas, Historical Biology, https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2461068.
    • Altıner D., Payne J. L., Lehrmann D. J., Atasoy S. G., Özkan-Altıner S., 2025, New foraminifera from the Changhsingian (Upper Permian) of the Taurides (southern Turkey) with remarks on their evolutionary origins: Journal of Paleontology, https://doi:10.1017/jpa.2024.21.
    • Ferrill, D. A., Caewood, A., Smart, K., Evans, M. A., Lehrmann, D., Stockli, L. D., Stockli, D. F., 2025, Fault zone deformation and fracture intensity in chalk-dominated carbonates: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 199, 105469, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2025.105469.
    • Ferrill, D. A., Smart, K., Caewood, A., Lehrmann, D., Zanoni, G., King, R., 2025, Fracturing in basinal siliciclastic sedimentary deposits of the Wolfcampian Alta Formation, Marfa Basin, west Texas: Marine and Petroleum Geology, v. 177, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2025.107391.
    • Hopson, H., Droxler, A., Khanna, P. Singh, P., Kubik, B., Pasquale R., Proctor, J. Zhou, Y., Martini, B., Fonteneau, L., Harris, P. M., Lehrmann, D. J., 2025, Controls on evolution of large Upper Cambrian microbial buildups in Mason County, Texas, USA: Bridging the Gaps Between Scales from Microbes to Large Buildup Architecture: Geological Society of America Bulletin, https://doi.org/10.1130/B38255.1.
    • Hunt, B. B., Droxler, A. W., Lehrmann, D. J., and Khanna, P., 2025, Mill Springs Limestone Submember (new) of the Point Peak Member, Wilberns Formation, Moore Hollow Group, Texas, chap. C of Orndorff, R.C., Stamm, N.R., and Soller, S.R., eds., Stratigraphic notes—Volume 2, 2025: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1879–2, 13 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1879v2.
    • Ledbetter Ferrill, N.*, Li, X., Tesauro, J.*, Sears, M.*, Bradley, G.*,  Hilbert, A., Carney, E., Saxby, J., Mobasher, N., Kelley, B. M., Rasbury, T. T., Wooton, K. M., Kirk, J. Luczaj, J. A., Lehrmann, D. J., 2025, Massive dolomitization of interior and slope to basin-margin facies of the Triassic Yangtze Platform through superposed Earth-surface and burial mechanisms; Nanpanjiang Basin, south China: Minerals, v. 15, n. 3, p. 324-367 . https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030324.
    • Singh P., Ferré, J., Thrasher, B., Monarrez, P. M., Al-Ramadan, K., Cantrell, D. L., Lehrmann, D. J., Morsilli, M., Payne, J. L., 2025, Macroevolutionary coupling of marine biomass and biodiversity across the Phanerozoic, Current Biology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.06.006.
    • Adams, T. L., Price, D., Davis, C., Lehrmann D. J., Sharpe, J., Godet, A., Suarez, M. B., Altiner, D., 2024, Conservation of Early Cretaceous dinosaur tracks in Comal County, Texas: detailed documentation and photogrammetry of a potential at-risk fossil locality, In Taylor, L.H., Raynolds, R. G., and Lucas, S. G. (eds.), Vertebrate Paleoichnology: A Tribute to Martin Lockley: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin v., 95,  p. 43-55.
    • Kelley, B. M., Lehrmann, D. J., Yu, M., Lau, K. V., Altiner, D., Minzoni, M., Enos, P., Li, X. and Payne, J. L., 2024. Metazoan-algal benthic ecosystems enhance automicritic slope boundstone: The Triassic Great Bank of Guizhou carbonate platform, Xiliang margin, China. AAPG Bulletin, v. 108, n. 10, p.1851-1884, https://doi.org/10.1306/06112422064.  
    • Morabito, C., Papazzoni, C. A., Lehrmann, D. J., Payne, J. L., Al-Ramadan, K. and Morsilli, M., 2024. Carbonate factory response through the MECO (Middle Eocene Climate Optimum) event: Insight from the Apulia Carbonate Platform, Gargano Promontory, Italy. Sedimentary Geology, 461, p.106575, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2023.106575.
    • Ferrill, D. A., K. J. Smart, D. J. Lehrmann, A. P. Morris, and R. N. McGinnis 2023, Synsedimentary slump folding: Examples and consequences of an under-recognized process in epicratonic basins, Marine and Petroleum Geology, Volume 152, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106274.
    • Godet, A., Suarez, M. B., Price, D., Lehrmann, D. J., and Adams, T., 2023, Paleoenvironmental constraints on shallow-marine carbonate production in central and West Texas during the Albian (Early Cretaceous): Cretaceous Research, Volume 144, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105462
    • Kelley, B. M., Yu, M., Lehrmann, D. J., Altiner, D., Jost, A. B., Li, X., Payne, J. L., 2023, Prolonged and gradual recovery of metazoan-algal reefs following the end-Permian mass extinction: Geology: https://doi.org/10.1130/G51058.1
    • Li J., Lehrmann D.cJ., Luo Y. M., Adams T. L., Yu M. Y., Liao J. L., Qin Y. J., Li Y. L. and Wang Y., 2023, Soft tissue preservation in the Triassic pachypleurosaur Keichousaurus hui: evidence for digestive tract anatomy, diet, and feeding behavior: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution; Sec. Paleontology. Volume 11 – 2023; https://doi: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1186354.
    • Ferrill, D. A., Smart, K. J., Evans, M. A., Cawood, A. J., Morris, A. P., McGinnis, R. N., Lehrmann, D. J., 2022, Contractional fold amplification through bed-parallel fibrous gypsum vein (“beef”) formation: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 156, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2022.104532.
    • Koeshidayatullah, A., Trower, E., Li, X., Mukerji, T., Lehrmann, D. J., Morsilli, M., Al-Ramadan, K., Payne, J., 2022, Quantitative evaluation of the roles of ocean chemistry and climate on ooid size across the Phanerozoic: Global versus local controls: Sedimentology, v.  69, p. 2486–2506, https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12998.
    • Lehrmann, D. J., Stepchinski, L. M*, Wolf, H. E.*, Li, L., Li, X., Minzoni, M., Yu, M., Payne, J. L., 2022, The Role of carbonate factories and seawater chemistry on basin-wide ramp to high-relief carbonate platform evolution:  Triassic, Nanpanjiang Basin, South China: The Depositional Record, v. 8, n. 2, p. 386-418, https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.166.
    • Li, X., Lehrmann, D. J., Luczaj, J., Kelley, B. M., Cantrell, D. L., Yu, M., Ledbetter Ferrill, N.*, Payne, J. L., 2022, Unraveling two formation mechanisms of massive dolostone in the Lower Triassic sequence of an isolated carbonate platform in Nanpanjiang Basin, south China: Sedimentary Geology, v. 440, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2022.106240.
    • Pimentel-Galvan, M., Lau, K. V., Maher, K., Lehrmann, D. J., Mukerji, T., Altiner, D., Payne, J. L., 2022, Duration and Intensity of end-Permian Marine Anoxia: G3 Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, v. 23, n. 1, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GC010130.
    • Tesauro, J. E.*, Sheppard, C.*, Adams, T., Godet, A., Price, D., Sharpe, J., Suarez, M., Lehrmann, D. J., 2022, Sedimentologic and geochemical analysis of dinosaur track sites of the Davenport Ranch, Bandera County and comparison with other dinosaur track sites in the Lower Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation of central Texas: South Texas Geological Society Bulletin, v. 63, n. 1, p. 10-25.
    • Altiner, D., Payne, J. L., Lehrmann, D. L., Özkan-Altiner, S., Kelley, B. M., Summers, M. M., and Yu M., 2021, Triassic foraminifera from the Great Bank of Guizhou, Nanpanjiang Basin, south China: taxonomic account, biostratigraphy, and implications for recovery from end- Permian mass extinction: Journal of Paleontology, https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2021.10
    • Davis, C. III*, Sheppard, C.*, Lehrmann, A.*, Adams, T., Godet, A., Price, D., Sharpe, J., Suarez, M., Altiner, D., Lehrmann, D. J., 2021, Sedimentology and geochemistry of a Lower Cretaceous dinosaur track site at the Mayan Ranch, Bandera, Texas: implications for environments and preservation of a sauropod manus dominant trackway: South Texas Geological Society Bulletin, v. 61, n. 6, p. 11-29.
    • Del Viscio G., Frijia G., Posenato R., Singh P., Lehrmann D. J., Payne J. L., Alramadan K. A., Struck U., and Morsilli M., 2021, Proliferation of Chondrodonta as proxy of environmental instability at the onset of OAE1a: Insight from shallow-water limestones of the Apulia Platform: Carbonate Sedimentology, https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12887.
    • Li, X, Trower, E. J., Lehrmann, D. J., Minzoni, M., Kelley, B. M., Schaal, E. K., Altiner, D., Yu, M., Payne, J. L., 2021, Implications of Giant Ooids for the Carbonate Chemistry of Early Triassic Oceans: Geology, v. 49 n. 2. p. 56–161, https://doi.org/10.1130/G47655.1
    • Ferrill, D. A., Evans, M. A., McGinnis, R. N., Morris, A. P., Smart, K. J., Lehrmann, D., Gulliver, K. D. H.*, Sickmann, Z.*, 2020, Fault zone processes and fluid history in Austin Chalk, southwest Texas. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, AAPG Bulletin, v. 104, n. 2, p. 245-283, https://doi.org/10.1306/04241918168.
    • Foster, W. J., Heindel, K., Richoz, S., Gliwa, J., Lehrmann, D. J., Baud, A., Kolar-Jurkovšek, T., Aljinovic, D., Jurkovšek, B., Korn, D., Martindale, R. C., Peckmann, J., 2020, Suppressed competitive exclusion led to the proliferation of Permian/Triassic boundary microbialites: The Depositional Record.  Depositional Record, v. 6, n. 1, p. 62-74, https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.97
    • Kelley, B. M., Lehrmann, D. J., Yu, M., Jost, A. B., Meyer, K. M., Lau, K. V., Altiner, D., Li X., Minzoni, M., Schaal, E., and Payne, J. L., 2020, Controls on carbonate platform architecture across the Paleozoic-Mesozoic transition:  a high-resolution analysis of the Great Bank of Guizhou: Sedimentology, v 67, n. 6, p. 3119-3151,  https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12741.
    • Khanna P., Hopson, H. H., Droxler A. W., Droxler D. A.*, Lehrmann, D., Kubik, B., Proctor, J., Singh P., Harris, P. M., 2020, Late Cambrian microbial build‐ups, Llano Area, Central Texas: A three‐phase morphological evolution: Sedimentology, v. 67, n. 2, p. 1135-1160, https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12679
    • Khanna, P., Pyrcz, M., Droxler, A. W., Hopson, H. H.*, Harris, H. M., Lehrmann, D. J., 2020; Implications for controls on Upper Cambrian microbial build-ups across multiple-scales, Mason County, Central Texas, USA: Marine and Petroleum Geology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104590.
    • Koeshidayatullah, A., Morsill, M., Lehrmann, D. J., Al-Ramadan, K., Payne, J. L., 2020, Fully Automated Carbonate Petrography Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks: Marine and Petroleum Geology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104687.
    • Lehrmann D. J., Droxler A. W., Harris P. M., Minzoni M., Droxler, D.*, Hopson H. H.*, Kelleher C.*, Proctor J. P., Khanna P., Lehrmann A. A.*, Lhemann, A.*, Mabry G.*, Mercado L.*, Proctor J. M., Singh P., Yazbek L.*, 2020, Controls on Microbial, Oolitic and Associated Carbonate Sedimentation and Stratigraphic Cyclicity Within a Mixed Carbonate Siliciclastic System: Upper Cambrian Wilberns Formation, Llano Area of Central Texas. The Depositional Record, v. 6, n. 2, p. 274-485,  https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.108
    • Lehrmann D. J., Minzoni M., Enos P., Kelleher C*., Stepchinski L.*, Li X., Payne J. L., Yu M., 2020, Giant sector‐collapse structures (scalloped margins) of the Yangtze Platform and Great Bank of Guizhou, China: Implications for genesis of collapsed carbonate platform margin systems: Sedimentology: v. 67, n. 6, p. 3167-3198,  https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12740.
    • Li, X.,  Falivene, O., Minzoni, M., Lehrmann, D. J., Reijmer, J. G., Morsilli, M., Al-Ramadan, K. A. H.,  Yu, M., Payne, J. L., 2020, Interactions between sediment production and transport in the geometry of carbonate platforms: Insights from forward modeling of the Great Bank of Guizhou (Early to Middle Triassic), south China: Marine and Petroleum Geology, Volume 118,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104416.
    • Li, X,  Trower, E. J., Lehrmann, D. J., Minzoni, M., Kelley, B. M., Schaal, E. K., Altiner, D., Yu, M., Payne, J. L., 2020, Implications of Giant Ooids for the Carbonate Chemistry of Early Triassic Oceans: Geology, https://doi.org/10.1130/G47655.1
    • Foster, W. J., Lehrmann, D. J., Hirtz, J. A., White, M., Yu, M., Li, J., Martindale, R. C., 2019, Early Triassic benthic invertebrates from the Great Bank of Guizhou, South China: systematic palaeontology and palaeobiology: Papers in Palaeontology, v. 5, n. 4, p. 613-656, https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.1252.
    • Lehrmann, A. A.*, Blake, E.*, Sun, K.*, Welch, B., Ray, C. J., Adams, T., Suarez, M. B., Godet, A., Ferrill, D. A., McGinnis, R. N., Lehrmann, D. J., 2019, Geochemistry and environmental analysis of a Lower Cretaceous dinosaur track site, Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country, Comal county, central Texas:  South Texas Geological Society Bulletin, v. 60, n. 3, p. 13-26.
    • Lehrmann, D. J., Wan Yang, Sickmann, Z. T.*, Ferrill, D. A., McGinnis, R. N., Morris, A. P., Smart, K. J., and Gulliver, K. D. H.*, 2019, Controls on sedimentation and cyclicity of the Boquillas and equivalent eagle ford formation from detailed outcrop studies of western and central Texas, U.S.A: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 89, n. 7. p. 629-653, https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2019.38.

    • History and Evolution of Life
    • Geology, Resources, and Environments of China
    • Paleontology
    • Basin Analysis
    • Field Geology of China

    Lehrmann’s research program has been continuously funded by external grants for more than 25 years. These grants totaling more than $2 million have been awarded by the National Science Foundation, The Petroleum Research Fund of the America Chemical Society, The Fulbright Program, and several oil companies.

    Prior to Joining Trinity in 2010, Lehrmann held an endowed professorship in international relations at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.  He has received the Erasmus Haworth Distinguished Alumni Honors in Geology Award from the University of Kansas. He has won a SEPM best paper award, honorable mention for best paper in Palaios, and has presented as distinguished lecturer at UT Austin.

    Lehrmann is associate editor for the Journal of Sedimentary Research and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin.  He is actively involved with local geological organizations such as the Southwest Research Institute, Edward Aquifer Authority, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Witte Museum, South Texas Geological Society, and the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists.  He regularly involves students in participation in geologic activities such the South Central section meeting of the Geological Society of America and the Texas Hydro-geo Workshop.  In 2017 he served as the field trip chair, chaired a technical session, and led a field trip for the South Central Section meeting of the Geological Society of America Meeting in San Antonio.  He serves on the EAST executive committee and actively supports AAPI diversity initiatives. Lehrmann provides geologic support for Geo-Parks and UNESCO World Heritage sites in China. He frequently hosts Chinese professionals and students on research visits to the US.