Tiny Rock Samples Could Reveal Secrets of Early Earth and Mars

A curious palaeontologist delved into the mysteries hidden within rock formations, unraveling important clues about early life on Earth and the potential for life on Mars.

“Being the first person to uncover a 66-million-year-old ammonite by cracking open a rock with a hammer will always excite me,” expresses Princess Aira Buma-at, a Geology MSc Graduate from the Department of Earth Sciences at University College London.

Driven by her fascination with the presence of fossils in rock nodules, Buma-at collaborated with her supervisor to conduct a project. This project aimed at documenting the geometric patterns, mineralogy, and microfossil composition of 84 diagenetic spheroids, small rock balls, from 38 rock formations dating back to the Proterozoic eon.

Buma-at highlights that the Proterozoic eon, accounting for around 40% of geological time, is often overlooked. She finds this particular period intriguing because it marked the emergence of the first eukaryotic life, which laid the foundation for all plant, animal, and human life on Earth today.

Regarding the formation of nodules, Buma-at acknowledges the lack of consensus among scientists. However, her findings indicate a higher abundance of diagenetic spheroids after extreme Snowball Earth ice ages. This observation suggests that increased oxidative weathering leads to a greater likelihood of environmentally-induced reactions.

Buma-at also notes the presence of nodules and concretions on Mars, implying that her research has implications for possible extraterrestrial life on the Red Planet. It raises the possibility that life may have existed beyond Earth within our solar system.

From Seashells to Paleontology

Buma-at’s interest in nature originated in her childhood on the island of Bohol in the Philippines. Exploring rock pools and collecting shells nurtured her passion for the natural world and steered her towards paleontology, research, and academia.

However, it was during fossil hunting trips with her family to various locations in the UK, such as Yorkshire, Dorset, and East Sussex, that her ambitions as a paleontologist crystallized. She pursued an MSci in Geology at University College London (UCL), participated in a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Research Experience Placement (REP) program at the University of Cambridge, and currently volunteers at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London.

Buma-at acknowledges the underrepresentation of Filipinos in paleontology but takes immense pride in her Filipino culture and heritage. Despite initially feeling discouraged due to the lack of representation, she credits her academic mentors for providing invaluable advice and support in navigating the academic world.

Another scientist from the Global South, Dirley Cortés Parra, shares Buma-at’s passion for fossils. Cortés, a paleontologist, grew up in a mountainous region of Colombia that was once an ancient inland sea. Her research focuses on the intriguing teeth of ichthyosaurs, massive marine reptiles that once inhabited the area.

MORE FROM FORBES
Colombian Paleontologist Studies Her Hometown’s Giant Marine Reptile
By Andrew Wight

Cortés, affiliated with McGill University in Canada, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, and Colombia’s Paleontological Research Center, recently identified a new ichthyosaur species, Kyhytysuka sachicarum, from her hometown, Villa de Leyva.

Denial of responsibility! TechCodex is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.