The Ordovician started 485 million years ago and ended 444 million years ago. This geologic period began with a rapid diversification of marine organisms and ended with a global mass extinction. This boom and bust in biological diversity is thought related to climate change. Back then, southern Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky was a shallow marine sea. Today, this region is renown for marine fossils that give us a window into the life on the Ordovician seafloor. Our lab collaborates with Dr. Ben Dattilo at Purdue University Fort Wayne on a series of drill cores to characterize the chemical conditions of this dynamic time period.
