Ediacaran taxonomy, taphonomic pathways, decay experimentation, micro-CT

My broad research interests are connected by using modern microscopic techniques to answer ancient questions about the origins of macroscopic life on Earth. Through this work I explore how late Ediacaran (~550 million year old) organisms became incorporated into the fossil record and how their preservation influences paleontologists’ ability to interpret their original biology. On the other end of the temporal spectrum, I use modern organisms to confirm how biological tissues react under ancient ocean conditions to replicate and confirm these ideas.