Our Research
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At QTE we use several different geological and palaeoecological methods to study what the past was like during the last 2.5 million years, to better understand what the world was like during the times of our early prehuman and human relatives.
We love caves and lakes! So we study a specific group of rocks called carbonates, which form in caves and on the open landscape. We use the U-Pb and U-Th techniques to date these rocks and work out how old the fossils and occupation sites associated with them are. We use the chemistry of these rocks, including the isotopic signatures preserved in them to find out more about the conditions they formed under. |
We also work on recent and ancient lake deposits, studying the lake sediments themselves, their chemistry and the many microfossils preserved in them – things like phyoliths, diatoms and pollen. This research is important as we need to know how people in the recent and distant past lived, survived and even thrived during climate conditions very different to today. Especially as we all head into an uncertain climate future.
We are always looking for new group members and have room for new researchers from background in geology, archaeological, palaeoecology and palaeoclimatology at all levels: Hons, masters, PhD and post doc. Come and join us! |
