It’s the Little Things in Life: A Journey into the Microcosm of Paleontology

Tuesday, Nov. 14, 7-8 p.m.

Johnson Geo Centre

Public Lecture: Pascal Olschewski and Nagi Chida

Whether we are waiting for pizza dough to rise, a pollen allergy is striking again, or we are simply taking a deep breath of fresh air, tiny organisms have a profound impact on our lives and on our planet – and have done for over 3.5 billion years! Living things, sometimes so small that they are invisible to the naked eye, have been fossilized in vast quantities. They can be the main components of rocks, and may make up entire landscapes. Unlike the (often gigantic) dinosaurs, microfossils are little known to the public but are an invaluable resource for paleontologists as they can be used to understand and reconstruct long lost ecosystems. But what are they exactly? How did they turn into stone, and how can we study microfossils if we can hardly see them? Pascal’s presentation will cover the broad field of micropaleontology, with particular reference to ongoing projects by Memorial University’s MUNpaleobiology research group on the east and west coasts of the island of Newfoundland. Nagi will introduce us to her research examining the microbial textures and microbially-induced sedimentary structures (MISS) that make up an important component of the Ediacaran fossiliferous surfaces here in Newfoundland.

Admission by donation. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Presented by Johnson Geo Centre

Event Listing 2023-11-14 19:00:00 2023-11-14 20:00:00 America/St_Johns It’s the Little Things in Life: A Journey into the Microcosm of Paleontology Public Lecture: Pascal Olschewski and Nagi Chida Whether we are waiting for pizza dough to rise, a pollen allergy is striking again, or we are simply taking a deep breath of fresh air, tiny organisms have a profound impact on our lives and on our planet – and have done for over 3.5 billion years! Living things, sometimes so small that they are invisible to the naked eye, have been fossilized in vast quantities. They can be the main components of rocks, and may make up entire landscapes. Unlike the (often gigantic) dinosaurs, microfossils are little known to the public but are an invaluable resource for paleontologists as they can be used to understand and reconstruct long lost ecosystems. But what are they exactly? How did they turn into stone, and how can we study microfossils if we can hardly see them? Pascal’s presentation will cover the broad field of micropaleontology, with particular reference to ongoing projects by Memorial University’s MUNpaleobiology research group on the east and west coasts of the island of Newfoundland. Nagi will introduce us to her research examining the microbial textures and microbially-induced sedimentary structures (MISS) that make up an important component of the Ediacaran fossiliferous surfaces here in Newfoundland. Admission by donation. Doors open at 6:30pm. Johnson Geo Centre Johnson Geo Centre