Shell Chronicles: Exploring Deep Time through Seashell Fossils
Beyond dinosaurs, the fossil world holds hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. Studying seashells can help us unravel the mysteries of marine life. The fossil record of seashells spans hundreds of millions of years, allowing us to examine how these organisms have evolved over deep time. Because seashells have diversified rapidly over time, they are perfect for helping us learn how different marine creatures have changed in response to various natural factors and environmental challenges throughout history. The humble seashell serves as a valuable time capsule that enables scientists to piece together Earth's history, study the evolution of marine life, and gain insights into past environmental conditions. In this lecture, paleobiologist Devapriya Chattopadhyay navigated the audience through a journey to explore the fantastic world of seashell fossils!
About the Paleobiologist
Devapriya Chattopadhyay is a Paleobiologist, interested in the ecology and evolution of marine mollusks. She received her PhD in Geology from University of Michigan. She is currently serving as an Associate professor in the Department of Earth and Climate Science, IISER Pune. Using a combination of recent and fossil mollusks, she addresses topics such as individual response to biotic interaction, ecologic response to climate change, effect of physical environment on marine benthos diversity. In addition to studying fossils in the field, she works on modern organisms using underwater observations, conducts laboratory experiments in aquariums and uses statistical modelling.