In January–February 2026, Dr. Darja Dankina, a paleontologist at Nature Research Centre, is participating in an international scientific project together with researchers from the University of Turin (Italy). During this collaboration, detailed studies of nanofossils—coccoliths—are being conducted.
Coccoliths are microscopic plates composed of calcium carbonate that cover the cells of marine golden algae. The samples collected in Sicily allow us to study these unique structures that are among the most informative paleoproxy groups used for reconstructing past environments.
These studies make it possible to determine:
- past sea surface temperatures,
- changes in the chemical composition of the oceans, and
- biological productivity during different geological periods – from the Late Triassic to the present day.
Dr. Darja Dankina plans to apply this methodology and the knowledge gained to the analysis of geological samples from Lithuania. This is a significant step, as no research of this type has yet been conducted in our country.
We wish the scientist and her entire team successful research, valuable results, and scientific publications that will contribute to our knowledge of the Earth’s climate and ocean development.
