Sclerochronology is a methodological approach that uses the growth increments and geochemical signatures preserved in biogenic hard tissues—such as mollusk shells, corals, fish otoliths, and bivalve valves—to reconstruct chronological environmental and physiological records. By counting and measuring periodic growth bands (e.g., annual, seasonal, or daily) and analyzing stable isotopes, trace elements, and microstructures along these increments, researchers can derive high-resolution time series of parameters such as temperature, salinity, and growth rates. The method requires rigorous calibration of growth periodicity, precise sampling along growth axes, and robust chronological alignment to produce quantitatively reliable environmental and ecological reconstructions.
Techniques developed to study the distant past—from dating ancient artifacts to reconstructing climate records in ice cores—are now being repurposed to help us better understand the lives of modern sea turtles. Using radiocarbon ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 22, 2026
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In biology and paleontology (the study of extinct organisms) there are a few ways to estimate the age of an animal's skeleton. One is the extent of fusion of sutures in the skeleton—how much the plates of bone have joined ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 14, 2026
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263
An international research team led by marine biologist Prof. Dr. Maren Ziegler from Justus Liebig University Giessen (JU) has developed an innovative method for reconstructing the past of corals and their symbiosis with algae ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 7, 2025
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A University of Sydney student has developed a completely new way to peer inside coral fossils to recover lost records of past climate change.
Earth Sciences
Oct 7, 2025
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An international study by marine scientists based in Singapore has revealed that sea-level rise in the Indian Ocean began accelerating far earlier than previously thought, with corals providing an unbroken natural record ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 12, 2025
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51
A new study reveals a bright spot for shellfish populations in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Combining paleontological tools and archaeological data with conservation research, the paper finds that, for the past 3,000 years, ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 9, 2025
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