The Ediacaran fossil taxon Attenborites janae was originally excavated in 2017 from the Ediacara Member of the Nilpena Ediacara National Park (Nilpena, Droser et al, 2018). Attenborites was described as a potentially pelagic organism that had undergone deflation during preservation. This thesis tests this hypothesis by examining the taphonomy and p...
Methane is the simplest form of organic matter on Earth, the most abundant organic molecule in the atmosphere where it is a potent greenhouse gas, an important source of energy, and considered to be a signature of life on other worlds. Methane’s genesis and its fate can occur abiotically and biotically in various atmospheric, geologic, and geograph...
Antarctic cyanobacteria form microbial mats in perennially ice-covered lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. These mats demonstrate a variety of ecological and metabolic behaviors consistent with Antarctic conditions as well as specific challenges between and within the lakes. In this thesis, I explore the survival of cyanobacteria in Antar...
Published in Astrobiology
As the exploration of Mars and other worlds for signs of life has increased, the need for a common nomenclature and consensus has become significantly important for proper identification of nonterrestrial/non-Earth biology, biogenic structures, and chemical processes generated from biological processes. The fact that Earth is our single data point ...
Since life took its earliest footholds, organisms have been in a perpetual arms race. Evolutionary trial and error has produced increasingly complex organisms. All with a single purpose, to utilize available resources as efficiently as possible and reproduce. This progression has led to things like photosynthesis and respiration, phagocytosis, mult...
Abstract embargoed.
There is a growing interest in microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) treatment in carbonate rich soils. Research has found MICP bio-augmentation and bio-stimulation to be effective in carbonate rich soils with potential differences dependent on chemical formulation, treatment time, soil composition and soil fabric. This study focused on ...
Novel molecular isotope proxies measured in bivalve tissues represent a wide range of approaches for tracing ecological and climatological change through time and space. In comparison to other oceanographic data used to reconstruct modern and past biogeochemical cycles (e.g., marine sediment cores), chemical signals preserved in sessile, filter-fee...
Fossilized microorganisms (microfossils) preserved within Precambrian sedimentary rocks represent a vital source of evidence for early life on Earth, and studies of such microfossils and the organic matter (kerogen) of which they are typically composed have helped guide the modern search for past life on Mars. Investigations into the morphology, mo...
Published in Space Science Reviews
Stable isotope compositions of biologically cycled elements encode information about the interaction between life and environment. On Earth, geochemical biomarkers have been used to probe the extent, nature, and activity of modern and ancient organisms. However, extracting biological information from stable isotopic compositions requires untangling...
