August 2023, Associate Research Professor Erin DiMaggio and senior geosciences undergraduate student Abby Mensch spent two weeks studying the geology of 6-million-year-old fossil sites in southern Kenya. Their work is part of a collaborative project investigating a period in Africa (~6 to 8 million years ago) when the chimpanzee and hominin lineages diverged. Their international and diverse team of 30 people comprises geologists and paleontologists, a support crew, leaders from the Maasai community, and students from the U.S. and Kenya.
DiMaggio and Mensch spent most days measuring and describing stratigraphy sections, mapping geology, and collecting volcanic ash samples for radiometric dating and correlating fossil sites. Evenings were spent organizing samples and maps, integrating data, and planning the next day’s adventure. A highlight of their field season was the cross-disciplinary learning among the team each day and sharing experiences and cultures around the campfire at night.
DiMaggio, Mensch, and Penn State geosciences undergraduate student Zharia Hill presented their work on tephra geochemistry from Kenya at the GSA Connects conference held in October 2023.