MQ SAFETY NET Biogeochemical evolution of animal exoskeletons throughout the Phanerozoic

This project aims to decipher the formation and evolution of biominerals used to construct animal shells through geological time. Using advanced laser instrumentation, the goal is to isolate and identify new suites of biomolecules directly from fossil and modern shells in long-lived animal lineages, enabling characterisation of their skeletal ultrastructure and composition. This will deliver new, independent biogeochemical data to investigate animal relationships and the evolutionary drivers of biomineralization through time. Technical development of new laser-based instrumentation will greatly benefit a diversity of scientific, historical and medical fields where accurate identification of tiny amounts of organic matter is essential.