Profile (CV) of the research teaching staff

Cuenca Bescós, Gloria
Department: Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra
Field: Paleontología
Faculty: Facultad de Ciencias

Research Institute: INSTITUTO UNIVERSITARIO DE CIENCIAS AMBIENTALES (IUCA)

UNESCO codes
  • Paleontología de los vertebrados
  • Geología ambiental

Number of 6-year periods of research productivity evaluation
  • CNEAI research evaluation. 01/01/22
  • CNEAI research evaluation. 01/01/16
  • CNEAI research evaluation. 01/01/10
  • CNEAI research evaluation. 01/01/05
  • CNEAI research evaluation. 01/01/98
Academic position: Cated. Universidad
Email: cuencag@unizar.es
Personal web page: www.aragosaurus.com, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gloria_Cuenca-Bescos?ev=hdr_xprf&_sg=5fstxa99GEIlqVVuvpfcam7GVvmm6eTmraldwOtYLrMS_N5IpeYA1VSCxe6uvKWu
ORCID number: 0000-0001-5125-9651

Research interests
  • Ciencias naturales y ciencias de la salud
  • Ciencias de la tierra

University degrees
  • Licenciada de Grado en la Facultad de Ciencias (Tesina). Universidad de Zaragoza. 1981
  • Licenciado en Ciencias Geológicas Especialidad Paleontología. Universidad de Zaragoza. 1981

PhDs
  • Doctora en Ciencias Geológicas. Universidad de Zaragoza. 1987

Download curriculum in PDF format Download full CVN Go to personal website Go to ORCID page

 
                 
Gloria Cuenca-Bescós is a senior paleontologist at the University of Zaragoza, specializing in fossil and extant small mammals, field excavations, and microvertebrate classification using classical paleontological techniques, geometric morphometrics, CT-scan imaging, 2D/3D reconstruction, and ancient DNA. Founder of the research group E18_23R Aragosaurus: Recursos geológicos y Paleoambientes and co-founder of the University Institute for Environmental Sciences of Aragón (IUCA), she has carried out international research stays in Groningen, Prague, New Mexico, and Weimar.

She is an expert educator in Vertebrate Paleontology, Paleoecology, and Conservation Paleobiology, with multiple accredited teaching and research periods and a distinguished record of awards, including the Prince of Asturias Award (1997), the Castilla y León Scientific Research Award (1997), the Royal Academy of Sciences of Zaragoza Award (1997), the Aragonia Award (2012), and the Cortes de Aragón Medal (2018). She served as Director of IUCA (2017–2021) and as Vice-Chancellor for Technological Transfer and Innovation (2021–2025).

From 1991 to 2023 she led the microvertebrate research program at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Atapuerca. She has published 276 scientific articles (159 indexed in WoS, H-index 38), authored 11 books, supervised 14 PhD theses and fifteen master’s dissertations, and delivered more than 200 scientific outreach conferences and seminars.

Her research focuses on microvertebrates—especially mammals—as key indicators for phylogenetic, evolutionary, paleoecological, taphonomic, and biostratigraphic studies. Together with the Aragosaurus team, she applies innovative approaches such as ancient DNA, geometric morphometrics, microtechnology-based 3D reconstruction, and AI-assisted classification. She is also developing new lines of research and teaching in Conservation Paleobiology. A member of the editorial boards of two scientific journals, she regularly serves as a reviewer and participates in national and international project evaluation committees. She is strongly committed to citizen science and founded the first University–Enterprise Chair in Geology and Society in Spain.

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