Seasonality across the K-Pg boundary in Antarctica

We collected a suite of fossil clams from above and below the K-Pg boundary (66.5 – 65.5 Ma) on Seymour Island, Antarctica. Rachel Mohr (M.S., 2018) has been sampling these shells to generate isotopic profiles which can be used to assess the marine environment at this time. Through use of the computer controlled micromill, we can generate up to 20 samples per growth band, which represents one year of shell growth. By examining the isotope records at this resolution, we can reconstruct how the environment changed seasonally across this important geologic interval.

Boxes of shell samples