Life past and present

We decipher the geological record to reveal the history of life, and address key issues facing our modern lives
We explore the origin, evolution, distribution and extinction of living organisms throughout geological time, hunting for records of life in terrestrial – and extra-terrestrial – environments. We:
- study how the ancient ocean circulated;
- probe whether there has ever been life on Mars;
- characterise organic matter in meteorites;
- reconstruct three-dimensional models of fossils;
- model global environmental change; and
- map out major observed patterns in species evolution and biodiversity.
Our modelling of fluid and air flows and work on sustainability helps us to tackle issues facing our lives today – from how pollution disperses through urban environments to impact human health to developing greener forms of energy that will help safeguard our future on Earth and support a Transition to Zero Pollution.
Associated Research Groups
Associated events and seminars
You can see all previous and forthcoming seminars via the ESE Events and Seminars pages.