Summer Science Exhibition 2012Coprolite chemistry - what fossilised faeces can tell us about extinct animals

• 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm on Friday 06 July 2012
• at The Royal Society, London

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Dr Fiona Gill

As part of the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2012, an interactive talk by Dr Fiona Gill.

Event details

Faeces contains a complex mixture of chemical compounds, including substances from the diet and digestive processes. By better understanding the biology of extinct animals we can gain insights into how they interacted with their environment and potentially why they became extinct. Dr Gill’s research lies at the interface between palaeontology and chemistry. She uses organic geochemistry as a tool for investigating interactions between microbes and animals in the fossil record. Her current research focuses on the chemistry of modern and fossilised faeces (coprolites). Dr Gill holds a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship, and is based in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds.

Attending this event

This event is free to attend and open to all. No tickets are required. Doors open at 6pm and seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Enquiries: Contact the events team