The Time Travelers
How Fossils Reveal Evolution's Secrets and a Scientist's Journey to the Schuchert Award
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The Paleontologist's Puzzle
When Dr. Lee Hsiang Liow received the 2020 Schuchert Award—one of paleontology's highest honors for scientists under 40—it was not in a grand hall filled with colleagues, but during a virtual ceremony amid the global COVID-19 pandemic 1 4 . This moment crystallized a journey that began with a teenage rebellion against biology, only to culminate in revolutionizing how we understand life's history through fossils.
Presented by the Paleontological Society, the Schuchert Award recognizes exceptional contributions by early-career researchers, placing Liow alongside legends like Stephen Jay Gould and David Raup 6 . Her work transforms fossilized shells into dynamic records of survival, extinction, and competition across millions of years—a decoder ring for evolution's grand narrative.
From Rebel to Revolutionary: An Unlikely Paleontologist
Early Influences
Liow's journey began in Singapore surrounded by biologists but initially rejecting the field entirely.
Lee Hsiang Liow's scientific journey defies linear expectations. Growing up in Singapore surrounded by biologists—her mother taught biology, her father was a microbiologist—she initially rejected the field entirely. As she later acknowledged: "As a teen, I was actually determined never to study biology" 1 .
A pivotal lecture by Professor Peter Ng changed everything, introducing her to Stephen Jay Gould's writings on evolution and paleontology. Despite the absence of paleontology courses at the National University of Singapore, mentors like malacologist Jon Baldur Sigurdsson and ornithologist Navjot Sodhi nurtured her curiosity 1 .
"I am not always right, but I am no longer afraid of being wrong or ignorant."
Decoding Deep Time: The Mathematics of Extinction
Liow's research bridges two worlds: the tangible fossils of ancient seabeds and the abstract realm of statistical models. Her innovations center on solving a core problem: How do we accurately reconstruct evolutionary dynamics from fragmented, uneven fossil records?
Sun-Tan Statistics
Collaborating with Michael Foote, Liow advocates for statistical fluency as essential for paleontologists—"like getting a good sun-tan, not a bad sun-burn" 1 .
Fossil Forensics: The 2-Million-Year Bryozoan Experiment
Among Liow's most captivating studies is a "forensic analysis" of marine competition spanning 2 million years, published in Ecology Letters and Ecological Monographs 2 5 . Using bryozoans—colony-forming invertebrates—her team tested whether biological interactions leave enduring signals in fossil assemblages.
Methodology: A Step-by-Step Fossil Investigation
- Field Collection: Gather well-preserved bryozoan fossils from New Zealand's Wanganui Basin.
- Stratigraphic Mapping: Layer by layer, document species occurrences.
- Trait Quantification: Measure competitive traits like zooid size and spines.
- Statistical Modeling: Use multivariate models to correlate traits with species persistence.
Results and Implications
The data revealed a startling pattern: morphology predicted competitive outcomes with >70% accuracy, even across millennia. Species with larger feeding structures, defensive spines, and robust colonies consistently outcompeted others. Crucially, this "fossil forensics" approach demonstrated that biological interactions—not just environmental shifts—drive macroevolution. As Liow noted, species are "more than ships that pass in the night" 5 .
The Scientist's Toolkit: Paleontology's Modern Armory
Liow's work relies on interdisciplinary tools that merge classical paleontology with 21st-century analytics.
| Tool/Technique | Function | Example in Liow's Research |
|---|---|---|
| Capture-Mark-Recapture (CMR) | Estimates species origination/extinction from occurrence data | Calculating extinction probabilities in brachiopods 2 |
| Stratigraphic Framework | High-resolution layering of fossil sites | Dating bryozoan competitions in Wanganui Basin 5 |
| Morphometric Analysis | Quantifies shape and structural traits from fossils | Measuring bryozoan zooids/spines 5 |
| Linear Stochastic Differential Equations | Models multivariate drivers of extinction | Identifying hidden extinction drivers in brachiopods 2 |
| R/PRYDE Software | Statistical computing for paleodiversity analyses | Analyzing trait evolution in ostracods 7 |
Beyond the Award: Mentorship and Macroevolution's Future
The Schuchert Award recognized not just Liow's publications, but her role in building collaborative science. At the University of Oslo, she pioneered paleobiological research in an institution without prior expertise 1 .
Mentorship Philosophy
Her mentorship philosophy mirrors Van Valen's and Lidgard's impact on her: fostering intellectual fearlessness. As she advised young scientists: "Ask the sharp questions. Embrace not knowing" 1 .
Current Investigations
Today, her team investigates pressing questions about species survival during climate change and whether biological competitions follow predictable "rules" 1 .
Lee Hsiang Liow's Career Milestones 1 2 6
| Year | Milestone | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | First paper on ostracod longevity | Linked morphology to lifespan (Paleobiology) |
| 2011 | Red Queen macroevolution paper | Scaled Van Valen's theory to deep time (Trends in Ecology & Evolution) |
| 2015 | Bryozoan competition study | Showcased long-term species interactions (Ecology Letters) |
| 2018 | Sexual selection as extinction risk factor | Found high male investment increases vulnerability (Nature) |
| 2020 | Awarded Schuchert Award | Top early-career honor in paleontology |
Fossils in the Anthropocene: Why the Past Matters Now
In an age of climate crisis, Liow's work transcends academic curiosity. Her discovery that "sleep-or-hide" mammals (e.g., burrowers, hibernators) survived past extinctions better than highly sexually dimorphic species offers clues for modern conservation 2 7 .
"Liow's genius lies in seeing fossils as dynamic datasets. She doesn't just describe the past—she interrogates it."
Whether analyzing ostracod valves or bryozoan colonies, her approach reveals a profound truth: Evolution is not a series of accidents, but a tapestry woven from predictable threads of competition, adaptation, and chance.
Modern Applications
Liow's models of extinction drivers provide frameworks to assess contemporary biodiversity loss.