Lecture: Ivory, INTERPOL, intrigue: Using chemistry to solve forensic mysteries

Speaker: Thure Cerling, University of Utah

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Talk summary: Naturally-occurring variations in elements, called isotopes, can be used in a wide variety of ways in forensic studies. Ratios between isotopes of a given element can provide clues to animal and human diets, region of origin, travel history and other chronologies. Cerling will discuss several applications of isotopic analysis, including travel histories and origins of confiscated ivory.

Lecture begins promptly at 6 p.m.
Reception begins at 5 p.m.

Thure Cerling is a distinguished professor of geology & geophysics and distinguished professor of biology at the University of Utah. He uses chemical isotopes to understand geological and ecological processes, and applies that knowledge to interpret ancient and modern ecological and climatology records, to study wildlife and to understand the evolution of landscapes. He is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including the Émile Argand Medal of the International Union of Geological Sciences, and was elected to the U.S. National Academies of Science in 2001. He holds a B.S. in chemistry and geology and M.S. in geology from Iowa State University, and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of California Berkeley.