Earth And Environmental Sciences
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Vanderbilt-led researchers show that generalist species are ‘jack of all trades and masters of all’
Over the past decade, Larisa DeSantis, paleontologist and associate professor of biological sciences, has worked with a team of former Vanderbilt undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and experts from across the globe to show how species can be both generalized at the species level and specialized individually—a probable key to their success. Read MoreFeb 9, 2022
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Vanderbilt students attend COP26 to observe climate diplomacy in action
Fourteen undergraduates and two graduate students represented Vanderbilt University in Glasgow, Scotland, as official delegates to the United Nations international climate change negotiations—dubbed COP26. Read MoreFeb 7, 2022
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Vanderbilt researchers combine paleontology and fluid physics to uncover Ediacaran nurseries
Looking at prehistoric organisms allows Simon Darroch and his students to describe how, when and why complex life evolved on this planet. Their work is a piece of the puzzle in understanding how likely it is that we’ll find complex life beyond Earth. Read MoreJan 7, 2022
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Vanderbilt University signs on to U.N.-backed Race to Zero campaign
Vanderbilt University, which already has taken significant steps in its commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, has joined the Race to Zero—Universities and Colleges coalition. At the same time, Assistant Professor Leah Dundon and 14 students are participating in international climate change negotiations. Read MoreNov 8, 2021
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Vanderbilt and University of Tennessee-Knoxville win Sustainable Regional Systems Research Network grant from National Science Foundation
Vanderbilt faculty Jonathan Gilligan and Janey Camp will work with researchers from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and involved entities to propose a large-scale research network with the goal of improving interrelated electric, transportation and communications services in areas with infrastructure served by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Read MoreSep 30, 2021
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Research Snapshot: How will the global community react if vulnerable nations pioneer solar radiation geoengineering
Simulating controversial responses to climate change, researchers illustrate how a small group of nations may influence climate change in the decades to come. Est. reading time: 2 mins. Read MoreAug 23, 2021
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Postdoctoral research fellow wins early-career award from International Association of Sedimentologists
Elizabeth Chamberlain, a U.S. National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow in earth and environmental sciences, has been awarded the 2021 Dr. Richard Faas Research Prize by the International Association of Sedimentologists. Read MoreMay 3, 2021
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Diet of Homotherium sabertooth cat included baby mammoths, according to new research
Chemical signatures and microscopic wear patterns in dental fossils show that the diet of sabertooth cats included mammoths. Read MoreApr 15, 2021
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Vanderbilt research shows how polar bears maintained highly specialized diets during periods of Arctic warming—until now
Dental analysis from Larisa DeSantis shows that polar bears may not be able to compete for food sources as their environment melts away. Read MoreApr 1, 2021
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Evidence suggests climate whiplash may have more extremes in store for California
Vanderbilt paleoclimatologists deploy first calcium isotope analysis of North American stalagmite to show how past weather extremes may predict events in California. Read MoreFeb 24, 2021
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Analysis of ancient teeth reveal clues about how sociopolitical systems grow
Isotope analysis of ancient Peruvian teeth gives anthropologists a clearer image of how cooperating societies function. Read MoreDec 15, 2020
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NASA-funded project uses images from space to study underwater volcanoes
Interdisciplinary Earth scientists explore how little-understood underwater volcanoes affect the atmosphere. Read MoreNov 18, 2020
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Vanderbilt paleontologists host National Fossil Day event for kids Oct. 10
Kids and lifelong learners can hear directly from paleontologists about bizarre creatures of the past during a free virtual National Fossil Day event on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 10 a.m. CT. Registration is required. Read MoreOct 2, 2020
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Vanderbilt scientists awarded NSF grant to examine the future of international shipping in the Arctic Ocean
Comparing risk of shipping along the Arctic and the Suez Canal through 2100 scientists weigh factors including climate change in their calculations. Read MoreSep 11, 2020
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Geochemical analysis from the last ice age may hold clues for future climate change and preparedness strategies
Paleoclimatologist Jessica Oster uses geological clues from stalagmites to explore implications for future climate change. Read MoreJul 14, 2020
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International collaboration draws new conclusions about ‘convergent evolution’ of saber-tooth cats
International collaboration shows that marsupial saber-tooth cats were more closely related to possums than fearsome predators. Read MoreJun 26, 2020
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Unexpected mammal provides insight into the lives of ancient hominins
Paleontologist and associate professor of biological sciences Larisa DeSantis finds answers about early hominin diets are with an unrelated group of mammals—tapirs. Read MoreJun 11, 2020
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Virtual Gatherings: Grad student in Earth & Environmental Sciences keeps group hangouts on schedule
When COVID-19 threw a wrench in their plans for meeting up in person, graduate students in Earth and Environmental Sciences decided to take their weekly hangout online. Read MoreApr 10, 2020
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Bangladesh collaboration offers lessons for facing rapid environmental changes
With a population of roughly 150 million people, the delta country of Bangladesh holds about half the population of the entire United States in an area the size of Louisiana, and exists under a near-constant risk of sea level rise and other dynamic climate changes. Read MoreFeb 24, 2020
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Where are the quokkas? New study explains what happened to the “happiest animal in the world”
The quokka, a small marsupial native to Australia, is an example of a species vulnerable to extinction in the country’s harsh surroundings. In a new study, researchers at Vanderbilt University demonstrate evidence for the dramatic decline of quokkas over the past century. Read MoreFeb 21, 2020