Katherine Turk is an ichnologist and invertebrate paleontologist who uses trace fossils, or records of organism behavior, to understand Earth's oceans from a time before easily-fossilized hard parts such as bones, teeth, and shells had evolved. Her primary focus is the Ediacaran-Cambrian evolution of complex burrowing by marine worms, and in particular the relationships between these early behavioral escalations and greater episodes of geobiological change. Her research combines trace fossil systematics and CT analysis with fieldwork in Namibia and South Africa and experimental work in Germany using modern marine burrowers to understand fossil record patterns. She is also particularly passionate about science writing and accessible science communication.
