Laura Cooper

@transitionalform.bsky.social

758 Followers 463 Following

Postdoc investigating the plants of the past at the University of Edinburgh, plants can be rocks too!

Schematic showing the gradual evolution of phloem and xylem from food conducting cells and water conducting cells, respectively, with the phloem evolving sepately in the euphyllophytes and extant lycophytes.
Sieve pores imaged using CLSM and SEM in Asteroxylon mackiei
Cladogram showing that the Rhynie chert plants lacked a pericycle, and had a grading of tissue between FCCs and cortex.
Asteroxylon mackiei in a thin section from the University of Manchester
Lycopodium annotinum, illustrated by Julianne Kiely.
A CLSM image of Rhynia from the Rhynie chert, thin section from the University of Manchester.
The Rhynie chert ecosystem by Victor Leshyk
Laura talking on a stage holding up a model of Prototaxites
Sandy Hetherington, Corentin Loron and Laura Cooper standing in a museum collection next to a large slab of Rhynie chert. Laura is holding the Prototaxites fossil and Corentin is holding a slide.
The Prototaxites specimen resting on a mossy floor
A microscopy photo of tubes with internal banding
A confocal image of a medullary spot of Prototaxites
Confocal microscope image of the small and large tubes of Prototaxites
The NSC.36 block containing Prototaxites, plants and soil
A block containing Prototaxites being held by me between the thumb and forefinger
A thin section of the plant Asteroxylon mackiei from the Rhynie chert, showing cellular preservation.
Palaeoart of a giant Prototaxites by Mary Parrish, from Hueber (2001).
A photo of a glass of wine with the palaeontological association logo on it
A close up photo of a snail climbing a glass wall, you can see the antennae and mouth.
Laura standing next to a large fossilised stigmaria rooting system
A photo of a desk with computer monitor, mug, books and a print of Prototaxites resting on it
Two people moving plants out of the way of a patch of moss
A block of Prototaxites fossil on a mossy surface, resembling the landscape of the early Devonian