Previews of Past Patagonia

Earlier in the semester, Dr. Cathy Whitlock and Buzz Nanavati traveled to Patagonia for some field research.  A film crew tagged along to document the experience.  Here is an example of their fantastic work!

She's at it again!

Masters student, Bar Ulrich is shown here collecting bison dung near Yellowstone National Park.  Bar's thesis work centers around a dung fungus called, "Sporormiella".  Sporormiella is found in some lake sediment cores, and researchers attribute it to the presence of ungulates on the landscape.  The spore has been used as evidence of prehistoric megafauna in watersheds.  Along with other research questions, Bar is trying to understand the relationship between the modern presence of ungulates on the landscape and the deposition of Sporormiella.

Introducing Helen K. Dailey!

The Paleoecology Lab is welcoming a new member.  Helen K. Dailey is our newest lab technician.  She will be assisting on several projects, starting with Buzz's cores and research in South America.  Welcome Helen!

Thoughts from a newcomer......

Observation through a new set of eyes is often a valued and unique experience.  We asked Chris Schiller, the newest member of the lab to jot down a few words about his first few weeks here at the MSU Paleoecology Lab.  

"I really ought to thank the folks in the lab since, while transitioning into Bozeman and MSU has had its complications, the lab has been more welcoming than I could have hoped for. Certainly 710 isn't at all like the foram and stream ecology labs I came from in South Dakota --some of the equipment could be used for making shoes, for all I know--, so at this point I hope to live up to the expectations in a lab that appears so well-organized, well-run, and staffed with great people.Thank you James, Cathy, and everyone else for setting me up with a place to work and getting me on the on the ground running!"   -Chris Schiller

Thanks Chris!  

Many of you out there may remember your first impression of the lab.  Feel free to share your memories in the comments area below.  

Welcome Chris Schiller!

The MSU Paleoecology Lab welcomes a new masters student, Chris Schiller.  He obtained a B.S. in Geology from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.  He'll be working on the Yellowstone Lake Project.  Welcome Chris!

Lab floor wax

The lab got a nice new wax job!  Thanks MSU Facilities!

Fun new tool

Learning new pollen types is a fun, but arduous process.  The MSU Paleoecology Lab recently acquired a new tool that will make it much easier for palynologists to learn.  The dual scope allows two people to view the same slide.  A neat feature is the "pointer" giving one person the ability to point to specific objects on the slide.