Research and ongoing projects
Members of the research group work on the evolution of the early biosphere, particularly focusing on the origins of major groups and exceptional preservation through time. This includes the origins of life, the evolution of sex, the events surrounding the Cambrian Explosion of animal life, and other major innovations during the later Phanerozoic. Our aim is to combine high resolution contextural analysis in the field and the lab (mapping out information at all scales from kilometers to nanometres), coupled with innovative questioning.
The Earliest Life
Typical laboratory techniques used by our group involve high resolution 3-D imaging, laser imaging, morphospace analysis, laser-raman or nanoSIMS biogeochemistry, together with observations on living microbial cultures. We also aim to encourage self-critical lines for scientific reasoning concerning early life studies, avoiding questions of the kind 'what does this structure remind you of?', and asking instead ‘what is this structure - could it be of doubtful or even abiogenic origin?’.
The Ediacaran transition and the Cambrian Explosion
Our aim here is an objective calibration of both the biology and timing of animal ancestors in the fossil record. This work typically involves detailed laser-mapping, petrography and geochemistry of fossiliferous bedding planes and substrates. Recent projects include morphospace and growth analysis of the Ediacaran 'cnidarian' fossils such as Charnia, Charniodiscus, Bradgatia, Ivesheadia and Palaeopascichnus (Dr Jonathan Antcliffe), and the impact of taphonomy on the early animal fossil record (Alexander Liu). Study of biological sedimentary structures and exceptionally preserved microbes from the Longmyndian Supergroup of Shropshire is also being undertaken (Alexander Liu, Latha Menon, Richard Callow).
The Earliest Life on Land
The group is greatly interested in the evolution of the earliest terrestrial fossil record and its biogeochemical pathways. Work is currently being undertaken on superbly preserved microbiotas in the soils, lakes and rivers of the Torridonian in north-west Scotland, some 1000-1200 Myrs old, and in the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian of Canada and Oman, some 500-1000 Myrs old (Leila Battison).