One of the significant challenges facing the scientific community is climate change. Researchers are seeking ways to understand and mitigate its impact through interdisciplinary efforts. Ashley Prow-Fleischer, a Ph.D. candidate at the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), is leading research in paleontology that may provide crucial insights into this global issue.
Prow-Fleischer’s work focuses on the Devonian Period, which occurred around 400 million years ago. This era was marked by significant evolutionary changes, including the emergence of plants and amphibians. Scientists believe that extinction events during the late Devonian Period could offer valuable information about current climate changes.
Approximately 40% of New York’s rocks date back to this period, containing clues about past environmental shifts. “Paleontology is a multidisciplinary field that combines different aspects of biology, chemistry, geology and math,” says Prow-Fleischer.
Her research includes studying extinct marine plankton found in these rocks. These microfossils can help reconstruct past ecosystem structures and predict responses to modern climate change. Traditional extraction methods use harmful chemicals, but Prow-Fleischer has developed a safer alternative using freezing and thawing techniques combined with household surfactants like Calgon and sodium carbonate.
This method allows for more efficient fossil extraction while maintaining safety standards. A microscope view of Devonian-era dacryoconarid microfossils reveals size variations that offer insights into ancient environmental conditions.
Another aspect of her research involves coral, which she refers to as “the history book of the environment.” Coral layers provide historical data on sea water conditions over thousands of years. This work benefits from an iodine-to-calcium proxy developed by her advisor, Professor Zunli Lu.
“The goal is to apply this proxy specifically to fossilized or subfossilized corals,” says Prow-Fleischer. She aims to identify areas vulnerable to oxygen depletion due to climate warming or extend reconstructions back to the last Ice Age.
Prow-Fleischer’s dedication has led her to publish four papers before defending her dissertation—a rare achievement—and collaborate with peers like Lucy Weisbeck and Caroline Underwood on various projects.
“Ashley is fearless in the face of a challenge,” says Professor Linda C. Ivany. After earning her Ph.D., Prow-Fleischer joined Stanford University’s Payne Paleogeology Lab as a post-doctoral researcher focusing on geochemistry related to climate mitigation efforts.
“I love the mystery of paleontology,” she states, expressing her commitment to further exploring biological effects on climate change through an academic career dedicated to societal betterment.
