As a postdoctoral researcher, I have expanded my research direction to include questions at the intersection of climate and life. I am using triple oxygen isotopes and stable carbon isotopes of biominerals (specifically, tooth enamel carbonate and eggshell carbonate) to address these questions.

An important first step toward robust paleoclimate and paleoecological interpretation is developing robust analytical and sample preparation methodologies. In my first project at Yale, I tested the effects of chemical pretreatments on the triple oxygen isotope composition of modern and fossil biomineral samples (Katz et al., 2026). This work will serve as a guide to practitioners as they select sample pretreatment methodologies and set standards for reporting pretreatment methodologies in future studies.

My other postdoc projects are applied research addressing paleoclimate and paleoecology questions. I'm especially interested in how climate affects terrestrial environments (from a landscape, vegetation, and water perspective), and how animals adapt or go extinct as a result of these ecological pressures. These interconnections have guided the trajectory of my active postdoc research program, and I hope to continue exploring this theme in the future. Currently I am leading active projects in Texas during the Late Quaternary (Katz et al., in prep), Africa during the Holocene, and Florida from the Miocene to recent. Check back soon for additional updates!

Related publications:

Katz, S.A., Bertacchi, A., Yarian, D.A., Wostbrock, J.A.G., (2026) "Carbonate triple oxygen and carbon isotope effects of chemical pretreatments on tooth enamel and eggshell." Chemical Geology (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2026.123551).

Katz, S.A., Koch, P.L., Yarian, D.A., and Wostbrock, J.A.G. (in prep) “Diminished dietary and water use niche space of North American herbivores following the Late Quaternary megafauna extinctions.” Expected submission late summer 2026.

More detailed descriptions of these projects are included below.