- Molluscs build their shells with calcium carbonate from the sea water. Their shells record the sea water chemistry which lets us decipher the changes that occurred in their environment.
- Paleoclimate scientist Devapriya Chattopadhyay studies mollusc fossils which helps reconstruct the marine paleoenvironment. Her findings revealed that even periods of slight warming affected mollusc diversity in an area considered to be less affected by changes in the climate.
- In this episode of ‘Imprints’ Chattopadhyay talks about her fossil hunting adventures, interesting discoveries and patterns, the humans she encounters on the field and the challenge that India faces in setting up a museum for natural history.
It is important to record this information, as every day new infrastructure projects erase pieces of natural history. And research on mollusc fossils in Kachchh that go back millions of years, has revealed that even periods of slight warming affected mollusc diversity in an area considered to be less affected by changes in the climate. In the context of present day climate change, this paleoclimate research is considered to be very useful to bridge some knowledge gaps.
In this episode of Imprints, Mongabay-India Contributing Editor and podcast host, Sahana Ghosh speaks with palaeontologist and scientist Devapriya Chattopadhyay, Associate Professor, Earth and Climate Science, Paleobiology and Marine Ecology, Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), to understand how palaeontologists reconstruct the biological world that existed before the development of human civilisation.
Listen here:
[Podcast] Imprints: Finding molluscs with Devapriya Chattopadhyay