Paleontology Research group
Department of Earth Sciences
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata
Mohanpur, W. B. - 741246
India
The Paleontology Research Group in IISER Kolkata is interested in studying the ecology and evolution of invertebrate groups, especially molluscs, through time. Faculty member and students address a wide range of questions that centre on the evolution of molluscs as a response to physical and biological triggers in Paleo and Recent ecosystems. Areas of particular interest include individual response to biotic interaction, ecologic response to climate change, effect of local environment on shallow-marine benthos diversity.
We utilize state-of-the-art Geochemical facilities in the DES as well as in the other departments of IISER Kolkata. The members of this research group conduct field trips all over India, especially in the Cenozoic deposits of Western India and Recent deposits along the Indian coast. They also address research questions using the curated fossil specimens of our repository. Moreover, they participate in conducting neontological experiments in our Synthetic Salt Water Aquarium.
Members:
Devapriya Chattopadhyay
Associate Professor
Research interest: Diversity, ecology and taphonomy of molluscan assemblages.
Email : devapriya@iiserkol.ac.in
Saurav Dutta
PhD student
Research interest: Miocene bivalves of Kutch, Paleoclimatic reconstruction using molluscan shells
Email : sd13rs018@iiserkol.ac.in
Debarati Chattopadhyay
PhD student
Research interest: Morphological variation in Cenozoic molluscs and its implications
Email : dc14rs033@iiserkol.ac.in
Madhura Bhattacharjee
IPhD student
Research interest: Diversity and taphonomy of Recent molluscan assemblage
Email : mb14ip013@iiserkol.ac.in
K S Venu Gopal
MS student
Email : ksvg14ms159@iiserkol.ac.in
Alumni:
Subhabrata Paul - Post-doctoral fellow (2014)
Deepjay Sarkar - PhD student (2012-2017)
K Ravi Kiran- MS student (2016-2017)
Ammu Sankar- MS student (2016-2017)
Shibajyoti Das- MS student (2014-2015)
Mansi Jain- MS student (2014-2015)
S. R. Prasanjit - MS student (2012-2013)
Ashish Rathie - MS student (2011-2012)
Arpita Roy - MS student (2010-2012)
Neeti Mondal - Project student (2013-2014)
Belligraham Narzary- Summer student (2014)
Tanurjyoti Bala - Summer student (2013)
Rohini Das - Summer student (2013)
Sabyasachi Mondal - Summer student (2013)
Partha Sarathi Saha - Summer student (2011)
Sandipan Dutta - Summer student (2011)
Anirban Das - Summer student (2011)
Projects:
Response of molluscan community to climatic variation: A case study from Miocene of Kutch (DST-FAST Grant)
Behavioral response of molluscs to physical and biological triggers using Neontological experiment (IISER Start Up Grant)
Diversity and ecology of Recent molluscs in Red Sea (Collaborator: Prof. Martin Zuschin, University of Vienna)
Diversity and distribution of Recent marine molluscs of India