fossils
An ancient dolphin gives a glimpse of the past
What can fossilized dolphin skeletons tell us about how whales transitioned from land to sea millions of years ago? New research describes Ankylorhiza tiedemani, an extinct species of dolphin that hunted large prey in the ancient seas of South Carolina. Julia ZehI am a PhD candidate at Syracuse University studying marine mammal communication. My research […]
In an Uncertain Future, How Might Corals Survive?
Scleractinian corals form the framework for reef ecosystems but are increasingly threatened. By looking at the coral fossil record, scientists are beginning to understand how corals have survived in the past, and what will happen to them in the future. Elena GadoutsisI’m not the typical marine biologist – I started my career as a nurse […]
The Slow Burn: Slower Metabolisms May Help Mollusks Avoid Extinction
By looking at fossils found in the Western Atlantic, Dr. Luke Strotz and a team of scientists at the University of Kansas and Oxford have come across an intriguing idea: that an animal’s metabolism may be linked to how likely the species is to going extinct. Kristin HuizengaI am a PhD student studying Biological Oceanography […]
The coelacanth and its leftover lung
The coelacanth keeps surprising us! Rediscovered off the South African coast in 1938, these animals were once thought to have died out 66 million years ago. Newly characterized lung and fatty structures may have been a key adaptation for their survival in deep-water environments. Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in […]
A “Jaw-dropping” Cambrian Fish!
A 500 million year old primitive fish sheds light on vertebrate evolution and the emergence of jawed fish. Brian CaccioppoliI am a recent graduate (Dec. 2015) from the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, with a M.S. in Oceanography. My research interests include the use of geophysical mapping techniques in continental shelf, nearshore […]
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