GSU Geosciences

Congratulations to #gsugeosciences grad alum Chelsea Zakas on her new position as Associate Planner for the city of Beverly, Mass! http://ow.ly/O8JS50C9bPO

Current students and faculty, please consider lending a few minutes of your time to assist graduate students in revitalizing our intro geology labs!

Graduate student Faustina shares how the GIS certificate offered at #gsugeosciences was integral. #whyGSUGEOS

Current student Sam appreciates the well-rounded experience at #gsugeosciences. #whyGSUGEOS

Graduate student Joseph values the hands-on experience offered at #gsugeosciences. #whyGSUGEOS

Graduate student Lauren @ichbineinlaurener shares how the geosciences help address real-world problems. #whyGSUGEOS

Graduate student Chris chose #gsugeosciences because of our M.S. concentration in Water Sciences. #whyGSUGEOS

Current graduate student Ahmadou @a.t.deme found his home in research in the heart of Downtown Atlanta. #whyGSUGEOS

Graduate student Christa shares #whyGSUGEOS grad program was the right place for her to put down roots.

Graduate student Susan Smith explains #whyGSUGEOS department size was a key factor in her grad school selection process. #gsugeosciences

To untangle the relationship between human evolution and the environment, you need data. Lots of it. Scientists now have the most precisely dated African enviro...nmental record of the past 1 million years. That's thanks to a 139-meter-deep core of earth, drilled near a much-studied archaeology site in Kenya, in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya. A team of researchers, led by Richard Potts, director of the Human Origins Program published their analysis of the drill core today in the journal Science Advances. In the paper, they describe the prolonged period of instability across the landscape in this part of Africa that occurred at the same time humans in the region were undergoing a major behavioral and cultural shift in their evolution. Some of the team’s key findings: after a long period of stability, the environment in this part of Africa became more variable around 400,000 years ago, when tectonic activity fragmented the landscape. at the same time early humans were abandoning old tools in favor of more sophisticated technology and broadening their trade networks, their landscape was experiencing frequent fluctuations in vegetation and water supply that made resources less reliably available. vegetation in the region also changed repeatedly, shifting between grassy plains and wooded areas. Meanwhile, large grazing herbivores, which no longer had large tracts of grass to feed on, began to die out and were replaced by smaller mammals with more diverse diets. Potts notes that while adaptability is a hallmark of human evolution, that does not mean our species is necessarily equipped to endure the unprecedented change Earth is now experiencing due to man-made climate change and Anthropogenic biodiversity loss. We have an astonishing capacity to adapt, biologically in our genes as well as culturally and socially, he said. The question is, are we now creating through our own activities new sources of environmental disruption that will continue to challenge human adaptability?

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow from 2-3 pm via our Instagram story! Current graduate student Brandon North will host a Q&A session for prospective graduate students wishing to know more about our program. #whyGSUGEOS #gsugeosciences