Tell us a little bit about yourself. My name is Elizabeth, and I use she/her. I’m currently pursuing a Masters in Geosciences from the University of South Florida. I grew up in upstate New York, near Ithaca, and hold a B.A. in Geology from Oberlin College. My hobbies include arts and crafts of all kinds (most recently, I started glassblowing!), baking, and videogames. I love museums, libraries, and driving long distances for things I could get at home.
What kind of scientist are you and what do you do? I’m a paleontologist! My undergraduate research investigated the systematics of Turritella, a cone-shaped species of sea snail. Turritella is a very common fossil, and thus has been identified and reidentified many times. Our group set out to find which of these identifications were true and represented distinct groups of organisms, and which ones were the same species under separate names (or different species under the same name), not to mention if Turritella in the fossil record could even be identified to a species level. To answer these questions , I measured and described a lot of specimens from types, a distinction used for the first named and described specimen that provide the reference for all the ones of the same species discovered after, and published figures. I’ve also spent a significant amount of time in museums—most recently, I helped curate a collection of oysters from Louisiana belonging to the Paleontological Research Institution. Now, I’m in my first semester of my master’s degree, studying invertebrate paleontology at USF.
What is your favorite part about being a scientist, and how did you get interested in science? Like many others in this field, I was a kid who loved dinosaurs who grew into an adult who loved fossils. I remember demanding that my kindergarten teacher spell paleontologist for me when we learned about careers. As a college freshman, I took an introductory geology class and was hooked. I was very lucky to be supported by a family to whom science is very important – in fact, inspired by my love of dinosaurs, my mother started working as a museum educator. I spent a few years after graduating from my undergraduate institution, serving with the AmeriCorps program City Year and working in a library, but I’m glad to be back. I love being a scientist! I love being able to think and ask questions and solve puzzles for a living.
How does your work contribute to the betterment of society in general? With an accurate understanding of their species, Turritella can be a great index fossil. Index fossils are used to identify and date the rock layers in which they are found, and, to be useful index fossils, they must be common, widespread, and have been around for a relatively short slice of history. If Turritella can be used to provide precise and accurate temporal information of the many, many rock layers they are in, we can use them to understand the history of an area more broadly. For example, finding Turritella of the same species in two distant rock outcrops shows us that they are the same layer and allows us to say with specificity how many millions of years ago that layer was formed. This, ultimately, helps fill in puzzle pieces of our knowledge of the earth. I think just being a scientist in the world helps society, too- being able to show people the complexity of the earth in little moments really matters.
What advice do you have for up and coming scientists? Two things: one, people want to help you. Many scientists remember when they were you, just starting out. Finding a mentor is worth it. Two, there is a place here for everyone. I remember being hesitant about geology because I’m not super outdoorsy and field camps can be inaccessible for me; when I learned could work predominantly in the lab or museums, it changed a lot for me. There are a lot of ways to be a paleontologist that are not the “traditional” way. The usual stuff sort of advice, too. Try new things. There is no time limit on this. Be enthusiastic. Be patient. Be kind. You got this.
