Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:

Originally hailing from Australia, Dr. Sarah Jacquet is now an Assistant Professor in paleontology at the University of Missouri, Department of Geological Sciences. Much of her research is focused on understanding the biology, morphology, ecology, and preservation of a group of organisms known as “small shelly fossils” that lived during the Cambrian Period, between ~540-520 million years ago. She is particularly interested in addressing questions concerning the timing of their appearances and disappearances through time, as well as how preservational biases might skew our perceptions of this shelly fossil record. To investigate this, she uses a combination of high-powered imaging techniques like scanning electron microscopy and micro-CT, along with petrographic and geochemical analyses, allowing her and her team to unravel sources of such biases and gain a more holistic view of the fossil record.

Although her work primarily centers around these research themes, her interests extend far and wide. Past and present projects span various geological periods and fossil groups, ranging from Cambrian reefs to Silurian jellyfish and even fossilized dung! This diversity of research topics keeps her engaged and continually expands her understanding of Earth's history.