description Jennifer Botha Overview
Jennifer Botha is a South African paleontologist and professor at the University of the Witwatersrand whose research examines the biology of extinct vertebrates during mass extinctions. She studies the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic transitions using paleohistology, morphology, biostratigraphy, and related methods. Her work on fossil bone microstructure and therapsids, including dicynodonts, reconstructs growth, life history, and responses to environmental change.
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What does Jennifer Botha study?
Jennifer Botha studies how extinct vertebrates grew, lived, and responded to major environmental change. Her research focuses especially on the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic extinction intervals.
Where does Jennifer Botha work?
She is a professor at the Evolutionary Studies Institute of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is also associated with the GENUS Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences.
What is paleohistology in Jennifer Botha's research?
Paleohistology examines the microscopic structure of fossil bone. By studying growth lines and bone microstructure, researchers can infer aspects of an extinct animal's growth rate, life history, and ecological adaptation.
Why does Jennifer Botha study mass extinctions?
The Permo-Triassic and End-Triassic crises provide natural experiments for examining survival and recovery among vertebrates. Comparing fossils from before and after those events helps test which biological traits were associated with persistence.
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