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Roger Summons' Research Group
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panorama of a Neoproterozoic section in Namibia |
We study organic matter from microbes, environmental samples and rocks. Ancient rocks and oils contain a rich abundance of hidden information within, including molecular and isotopic signatures of the biota existing at the time the organic matter was formed. The goal of our research, then, is to extract and interpret these signals, in order to reconstruct ancient environments and understand how life evolved within them.
Such interaction of the geosphere and the biosphere is how we define the field of geobiology. Through this study, we hope to get closer to the origins of oxygenic photosynthesis, about 3 billion years ago, and the conditions that led to the appearance of animal life on earth. The techniques we develop might eventually help to detect signs of life on other planets.
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