Geochemical Ecology and Biominerals
Our group exploits variations in the chemical composition of living and dead biological materials to answer ecological, biological and geological questions. Our research focuses on two main areas:
1. Fish ecology
We explore ecological questions in fish biology using a range of geochemical and biochemical techniques. We use the stable isotope composition of scales, otoliths and muscle tissues to study diet, location and physiology, we look at trace elements in otoliths and scales to track movement, assess stock structure and investigate life history characters and are developing proteomic-based methods of species identification.
We also carry out work in the fields of medicine and archeology.
2. Ancient bone
Bone is a fascinating material composed of a biomineral (bioapatite) and collagen. Both of these components provide information about the animal, but after death the nature and chemical composition of bone changes. We are studying the mechansims and rates of these changes to understand how bones survive into deep time (and why they don't). We also make use of the changes that occur to bone after death to study the burial environment and to explore the potential for direct dating of fossil bone.
We also carry out work in the fields of medicine and archeology.
