Baylor Geology Seminar Series Welcomes Geologist Thure Cerling

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Media contact: Tonya Lewis, (254) 710-4656
WACO, Texas (Nov. 19, 2014) – Baylor University’s department of geology will wrap up its Fall 2014 Seminar Series with a guest lecture by Thure Cerling, Ph.D., at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in the Baylor Sciences Building, Room E.231.
Cerling, Distinguished Professor of Biology and a Distinguished Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah, will present a lecture titled, “Exploring the Environmental Context of Human Evolution in East Africa."
“Dr. Cerling was invited to address our geology department because of our department’s strong emphasis on research involving Terrestrial Paleoclimatology, which is reconstructing Earth’s past climates using deposits preserved on land,” said Steven Driese, Ph.D., professor and graduate program director in Baylor’s department of geology. “He is a world-renowned geochemist with over 250 published research articles.”
Cerling is a member of the National Academy of Science and served nine years on the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.
He will address how changes in food and water of past organisms can be traced by analyzing stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen preserved in fossil teeth, bones, eggshells and in calcium carbonate formed in ancient soils.
“The talk is technical and tailored to a student and faculty audience with an interest in science,” Driese said.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served prior to the lecture at 2:30 p.m. in room E.401. The Baylor Sciences Building is located at 101 Bagby Ave.
For more information, call the department of geology at (254) 710-2361.
by Kristen Bennett, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
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