Earth and environmental sciences

Assistant Professor Lin Meng in the greenhouse smiling. Sepia tone from low light at night.

Evolutionary Studies pilot grant recipients reflect on last year’s research

Jul. 6, 2023—By Kelly Tingle, Evolutionary Studies communications assistant Last year (2022-2023), Evolutionary Studies at Vanderbilt awarded pilot grants to excellent proposals from four members of the ESI community: graduate students Samantha Schaffner (Biological Sciences, Patel Lab), Taiye Winful (Anthropology, Benn Torres Lab), and Katie McCormack (Anthropology, Benn Torres Lab) and Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Lin...

Paleontology Graduate Student Uncovers Lessons from Microfossils of the Grand Canyon

Apr. 7, 2023—By Dr. Andy Flick Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Kelly Tingle, graduate student in Simon Darroch’s lab (Earth and Environmental Sciences), just published a new first-authored article outlining some exciting discoveries related to microfossils found in the Grand Canyon. Vase-shaped microfossils were amoebae that exist worldwide and can provide some insight into early life on Earth....

Graphical abstract. Frondlets in twin pairs coming off a worm like base. Arrows showing water movement at different speeds through the frondlets

Vanderbilt-led Group Discovers Divergent Function in Convergent Evolution of Form

Feb. 22, 2023—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator The classic idiom form fits function does not always mean that everything of the same form has the same function. That’s what a group of paleontologists have discovered with the help of fluid physics and preserved fossils. Simon Darroch, assistant professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, led a...

Table with casts of skull fossils and a banner for the DeSantis DREAM Lab

Associate professor Larisa DeSantis to give prestigious scientific talk in Ireland

Jul. 13, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Larisa DeSantis – associate professor of the biological sciences & Earth and environmental sciences departments – will be giving the Royal Irish Academy Discourse Lecture on Monday, July 18th at 2pm central time. The Royal Irish Academy is good company to keep – including famous evolutionist Charles Darwin....

Time scale of different ecological terms. Ecology is for hours to centuries, historical ecology is for decades to millenia. Paleoecology is millena to millions of years.

Vanderbilt researchers bring paleoecology into the 21st century

Jul. 7, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Science is an inherently collaborative endeavor. When a respected colleague courteously disagrees with your point of view, it can lead to great new papers, perspectives and collaborations. In that same vein, feedback from editors and reviewers of academic journals is an often-understated driver of new research directions. Assistant...