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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. A million years ago, dry seasons became more frequent and forests retreated before the encroaching savanna. Meanwhile, clustered around a nearby lake, our ancient ancestors fashioned stone tools.
During the long press of years, mud and sediment in that East African lake turned to stone, trapping pollen and microscopic organisms in its lattice. Today, researchers like Kennie Leet analyze samples of these ancient sediments, known as sediment cores, to create a picture of the environment early humans called home.
A doctoral student in geological sciences, Leet is the first author on Labyrinth patterns in Magadi (Kenya) cherts: Evidence for early formation from siliceous gels, published in a recent issue of