| |
Research in Planetary and Early Biological
Evolution in the department is designed to explore Precambrian life
and evolution, early tectonic and surface systems on Earth, and
the early history of water on Mars. Sedimentological, geochemical,
isotopic, and molecular biomarker approaches are employed. |
|
| |
Faculty conducting research in this area include
Dennis Bird,
Page Chamberlain,
Don
Lowe, Mike
Moldowan, and Norm
Sleep (Geophysics).
Facilities used to conduct
research in this area include a
laser-based light stable isotope lab, a
Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe, a GC-MS-MS, an SEM
and electron
microprobe, and petrographic microscopes.
Links within this research area:
Recent publications:
- Hessler, A. M., Lowe, D. R., Jones, B.
L., and Bird, D. K., 2004, A lower limit
for atmospheric carbon dioxide levels 3.2 billion years ago.
Nature, v. 428, p. 736-738.
- Sleep, N. H., Meibom, A., Fridriksson,
Th., Goleman, R. G., and Bird, D. K., 2004, H2-rich
fluids from serpentinization: Geochemical and biotic implications.
Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, v. 101, p. 12818-12823.
- Tice, M.M., and Lowe, D.R., 2004, Photosynthetic
microbial mats in the 3,416 M yr old ocean: Nature, v. 431,
p. 549-552.
- Knauth, L.P., and Lowe, D.R., 2003,
High Archean climatic termperature inferred from oxygen isotope
geochemistry of cherts in the 3.5 Ga Swaziland Supergroup, South
Africa: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 115, p.
566-580.
- Moldowan, J.M., Jacobson, S.R., Dahl, J.
Al-Hajji, A., Huizinga, B.J., and Fago, F. J., 2001, Molecular
fossils demonstrate Precambrian origin of dinoflagellates.
In Ecology of the Cambrian Radiation, Zhuravlev, A. and Riding,
R. (eds.), Columbia University Press, New York, p. 474-492.
|
|
