Geosciences: Faculty Books

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  Dactyloidites ottoi (Geinitz, 1849) in Bahamian Pleistocene Carbonates: A Shallowest-marine Indicator

  H. Allen Curran and Bosiljka Glumac

  Book Abstract: Mesozoic Biological Events and Ecosystems in East Asia covers a wide range of topics, encompassing palaeoenvironments, palaeoecosystems and important vertebrate, invertebrate and plant fossils, some found in amber with excellent preservation of delicate morphological features. Fifty-three authors from a number of different disciplines - geochronology, palaeontology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, tectonics and geochemistry - contribute to the 18 articles in the volume. Well-preserved fossils and rocks continue to be found from marine and terrestrial sediments across East Asia. Over some years, the palaeontological and geological evidence discovered from this region has significantly improved our understanding of Mesozoic environments. In discussing feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, early mammals, diverse insects, amber inclusions, the oldest-known flowers and research utilizing new, advanced methods, this volume explores Earth's history in even greater detail. What other exciting discoveries are waiting to be unveiled in the future? Source: Publisher

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  Taking Off the Beard for Good

  Sara Pruss

  During a discussion of how women are treated in traditionally male-dominated fields, paleobotanist Ellen Currano lamented to filmmaker Lexi Jamieson Marsh that, as the only young and female faculty member in her department, she was not taken seriously by her colleagues. If only she had the right amount of facial hair, she joked, maybe they would recognize her expertise. The next morning, she saw a message from Lexi saying: Let's do this. Let's get beards. That simple remark was the beginning of the Bearded Lady Project.

  Challenging persistent gender biases in the sciences, the project puts the spotlight on underrepresented geoscientists in the field and in the lab. This book pairs portraits of the scientists after donning fake beards with personal essays in which they tell their stories. The beautiful photography by Kesley Vance and Draper White--shot with a vintage large-format camera and often in the field, in deserts, mountains, badlands, and mudflats--recalls the early days of paleontological expeditions more than a century ago. With just a simple prop, fake facial hair, the pictures dismantle the stereotype of the burly, bearded white man that has dominated ideas of field scientists for far too long. Using a healthy dose of humor, The Bearded Lady Project celebrates the achievements of the women who study the history of life on Earth, revealing the obstacles they've faced because of their gender as well as how they push back.