MIT Researcher to Discuss Geochronology at Baylor

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Dr. Sam Bowring, researcher in geology and geochronology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will speak at 3 p.m., Friday, Feb. 19, in the Baylor Science Building in Room D.110 on the Baylor campus.

The lecture, "High-precession U-Pb Geochronology and the Two Biggest Extinctions in Earth History", is sponsored by the vice provost for research and the department of chemistry and is part of the Vice Provost Research Colloquium Series.

Bowring will speak about advances in U-Pb zircon geochronology, which is the science of determining absolute age of rocks, fossils and sediments. Over the past few decades advances in U-Pb zircon geochronology has allowed researchers to evaluate the distribution of time in the rates of geological processes. However, questions regarding evolutionary radiations and extinctions still remain.

Bowring also will discuss his cutting-edge research designed to help answer some questions about the tempo and causes of evolutionary radiations and extinction.

Bowring's research has been published in Nature, Science, Geology and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He also is part of an international scientific initiative aimed at sequencing Earth history through the integration of high-precision geochronology and quantitative chronostratigraphy.

The VPR Colloquium brings major national and international speakers to campus. VPR aids faculty members from all academic units in identifying, obtaining and managing the funding needed to support their research and scholarship.

For more information, contact the office of the vice provost for research 254-710-3763.

by Jessica Puente, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805