matthewborths

About Matthew Borths

I am a graduate student in Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook University and a Turkana Basin Fellow. I study the evolution of a group of extinct carnivorous mammals called creodonts, a group of mammals that once filled all the carnivorous niches of Africa before the continent was invaded by modern carnivores like dogs, cats, and hyenas. I was one of the teaching assistants for the Spring 2013 Field School. I'm originally from outside Cincinnati, Ohio and I did my undergraduate work at The Ohio State University where I studied Geology and Anthropology. I've done fieldwork in North Dakota, Utah, Madagascar, Egypt, Germany, Kenya and Oman.

Defining the Holocene-“Anthropocene” boundary

Geology is often viewed as the study of the past, of what happened to get the planet to this point. But many geologists are equally interested in the future, using information collected on climatic, tectonic, and biological change to figure out where the planet is headed. Dr. Bob Raynolds, research associate Denver Museum of Nature [...]

By |2017-01-04T18:05:10+03:00February 17th, 2013|Field Schools, General|Comments Off on Defining the Holocene-“Anthropocene” boundary

When Lake Turkana busted its banks

The shifting scale of geological inquiry can give you spatial and temporal whiplash. You go from scrutinizing a tiny quartz crystal to trying to sort out the arrival of a massive inland sea or go from contemplating a single layer of ash that took a few minutes to fall to an entire formation that took [...]

By |2017-01-04T18:05:11+03:00February 13th, 2013|Field Schools, General|Comments Off on When Lake Turkana busted its banks

The Geologist’s Toolkit

Geology is the foundation science. Pun intended. It is the study of how everything we can lay hands on came to be. Geology draws from every investigative discipline – physics, chemistry, biology, anthropology and a lot more ologies – to examine the wheres, whens, and whys of mountains, water, and us. But before a geologist [...]

By |2017-01-04T18:05:11+03:00February 12th, 2013|Field Schools, General|Comments Off on The Geologist’s Toolkit

Ecological explosions and volcanic diversity

In the middle of Lake Turkana, an experiment is taking place without a single person touching a pipette or checking their controls. The open-air lab is called Central Island, and few people have had the opportunity to watch the experiment in action.

By |2017-01-04T18:05:11+03:00February 8th, 2013|Field Schools|Comments Off on Ecological explosions and volcanic diversity

Original student research on the Turkana Basin ecosystem

Time flies, especially when you’re learning something new. In the case of the ecology module it was more likely to be mosquitoes or bees than flies, but either way we’re all a little shocked that we’re a fifth of the way through the course. Two weeks in the Turkana Basin gone in a flurry of [...]

By |2017-01-04T18:05:11+03:00February 6th, 2013|Field Schools|Comments Off on Original student research on the Turkana Basin ecosystem

Home on the Range?

The Turkana people are a traditionally pastoralist tribe, moving their livestock and their homes across the arid range in search of fodder and water for their animals.

By |2017-01-04T18:05:12+03:00February 2nd, 2013|Field Schools|Comments Off on Home on the Range?

Hike to the Hills

Because we didn’t get enough time in the sun the previous week, a group of students decided to join Dr. Dino Martins on a hike through the Napadet Hills on our Sunday off from coursework.

By |2017-01-04T18:05:12+03:00February 1st, 2013|Field Schools|Comments Off on Hike to the Hills
Go to Top