Embedded Files
I use biological materials in sediment cores (pictured left) as proxies that can be correlated with environmental factors such as vegetation, fire, and megaherbivory pressure. These cores are often collected from lakes (pictured above).
I use biological materials in sediment cores (pictured left) as proxies that can be correlated with environmental factors such as vegetation, fire, and megaherbivory pressure. These cores are often collected from lakes (pictured above).
Pollen
Pollen
I use pollen as a proxy for past vegetation. Flowering plants produce unique pollen grains that can be identified to the family, genus, or sometimes even species level. The relative abundance of pollen types in a layer of sediment can be used to reconstruct vegetation communities of the past. I have developed novel pollen extraction methods and also tested classic methods on other plant macrofossils.
Turk's Cap pollen (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii)
Spores from Coprophilous Fungi
Spores from Coprophilous Fungi
I use spores from coprophilous (dung-inhabiting) fungi as a proxy for megaherbivory pressure. An abundance of spores may reflect lots of large dung piles and therefore megaherbivores, while an absence of spores may indicate a population decline or disappearance. I applied mycological literature on reproduction and dispersal of coprophilous spores to better understand their significance in the fossil record.
Generalized lifecycle of coprophilous fungal spores. From Perrotti and van Asperen (2019).
For a complete list of publications, please see my google scholar page. Please don't hesitate to contact me to request papers. I am also always interested in new research partnerships, so please email me if you would like to collaborate on a future project.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse