I am a stable isotope geochemist who enjoys studying terrestrial environments of the past. I am also interested in studying the biology and behavior of extinct organisms (mostly mammals and dinosaurs). Stable isotope ratios provide a powerful means of doing this work because of the ubiquitous occurrence of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen in authigenic minerals and in fossils of plants and animals. I also dabble in the study of trace and rare earth elements in authigenic minerals and fossil remains, and in the major element chemistry of paleosols.
Most of my research is centered on intermontane basins of western North America that formed during the Laramide +/- Sevier orogeny (I am spoiled in that so many of these basins are a short drive from my office!). My primary interest is in sediments that range in age from the late Jurassic period to the early Oligiocene epoch, and thus span the ‘age of dinosaurs’ and the ‘age of mammals’.
My research is very collaborative in nature, involving a number of research scientists from other colleges, universities, and museums who represent different geologic disciplines such as paleontology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, organic geochemistry, and climate modeling. Along similar lines, I involve students in all aspects on my research, including collaborative efforts with other faculty and with other students. I hope all of these folks have learned half as much from me as I have learned from them!
Check out the links to different time periods for brief descriptions of some of the projects my collaborators, students, and I are working on, and let me know if you want to learn more about them!
