Research Topic: Records of Life
Modern Environments
One way we investigate life is to examine how modern environments work. We are interested in unusual environments that work as analogues of the kinds of ecosystems we find fossilized in the rock record.
For example, Laguna Negra, in Catamarca provice Argentina, is a high altitude hypersaline lake. In this lake we find abundant carbonate precipitates, including large oncoids and stromatolites.
Ancient environments
Ancient sedimentary rocks can contain molecules that tell us a lot about the history of life on Earth. Organic molecules are the remains of formerly-living organisms, and we can examine the structures of these molecules, and the isotope ratios of carbon and hydrogen. Inorganic minerals like sulfates and sulfides also contain information, especially in their isotope ratios. We try to understand how rocks were deposited and what molecular information they contain.
Archaeological samples
Archaeological samples also bear information-containing molecules. By probing the structural and isotopic characteristics of these molecules, we can learn more about ancient human civilizations. We work with archaeologists interested in ecosystems and human diets.