Congrats to EEB scientists Michelle Lawing, Maria Hurtado, Leila Siciliano­-Martina and the rest of the Lawing lab for their paleontological work. Their research makes it possible to reconstruct ancient ecosystems by analyzing the teeth of over 50,000 carnivorous animal communities from across the world. “The whole point of our research is to use the fossil record to understand what we see today,” Lawing said. “How has the environment changed, and in turn, how have these communities of animals changed? We are looking for specific traits, such as what a species eats, to identify why populations have declined and communities have changed. We’re modeling the framework for conservation management.”  [Photo courtesy of TheBatt.com]