Digital Portfolio
This page is currently a draft of my digital portfolio, but I will be playing around with this to help set myself up.
Morrigan Nolan - Paleontologist of the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition
Me in the field in South China
About:
I study the ecology and biogeochemistry of the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition, meaning that I study the changing geology, chemistry, environment, and biology of the period of time when life first became large and gained hard shelly/skeletal components. End goal – I want to continue this research into the future by becoming a research professor or a collections manager in a museum, and thus continue to explore the co-evolution of life and environment during this critical transition.
Research:
Currently I work on a number of projects including evaluating curious dubiofossils of the Ediacaran and Cambrian, making sense of major disruptions to earth’s geochemical cycles as recorded in the isotopic record, like the Shuram Carbon Isotope Anomaly, and understanding the early evolution of hard parts in the biomineralized tubular organisms of the E-C.
Some papers I’m on or working on:
Using SIMS to decode noisy stratigraphic δ13C variations in Ediacaran carbonates
S Xiao, H Cui, J Kang, KA McFadden, AJ Kaufman, K Kitajima, JH Fournelle, M Schwid, MR Nolan, JM Baele, JW Valley
2020, Precambrian Research
The terminal Ediacaran tubular fossil Cloudina in the Yangtze Gorges area of South China
D Liang, Y Cai, M Nolan, S Xiao
2020, Precambrian Research
Iron phosphate in the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation of South China: A previously undocumented marine phosphate sink
MF Schwid, S Xiao, EE Hiatt, Y Fang, MR Nolan
2020, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
Differential Weathering of Diagenetic Concretions and the Formation of Ediacaran Annulated Discoidal Structures
MF Schwid, S Xiao, MR Nolan, Z An
In review, PALAIOS
Reconsidering Brooksella alternata of the Conasauga Formation, Southeastern USA
MR. Nolan, SE Walker, T Selly, A Sharma, JD Schiffbauer
In Prep. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
Teaching:
I’ve heard that you don’t really understand something unless you can explain it. Because of that, I think teaching is a vital part of the academic experience.
I have enjoyed teaching, both as a TA at Virginia Tech and as a Visitiing Assitant Professor at Denison University
I've taught courses on Introductory Geology Courses, Historical Geology, and Paleontology among other subjects.