Glass Plankton

How do we know what’s missing from the fossil record? Diatoms—tiny plankton with ornate skeletons made of glass—rule the bottom of the food chain in the ocean today. Although relatively recent in the fossil record, a closer look reveals diatoms may have been important for much longer in the history of life.

Using clues from the ocean bottom, Ph.D. candidate Sophie Westacott discusses what a revised history of glass plankton means for the evolution of horses and whales.

This event will include live, English captioning.