https://kevinuno.com/dei-and-outreach daily 0.75 2025-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/ea9ed2b7-e5d9-4cfc-9450-835f85faedcf/Kahle+2013+AGU+Poster.png DEI & Outreach https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598652656908-H0JP6N2CAOXYRTY52BVC/IMG_8068.jpg DEI & Outreach Kevin and Max Uno during a visit to the Westgate Community School near Isiolo, Kenya in 2018. Photo: Anne Bécel https://kevinuno.com/teaching daily 0.75 2025-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598627242173-U0PGJ4RSBIDK65335RPU/IMG_9366.jpg Teaching Photos from Terrestrial Paleoecology in Kenya. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598627242972-MY3FY3FN4IDA2G1B4IR5/IMG_9387.jpg Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598627244809-UYHEDV3E379YEMAAJ6ZP/IMG_8973.jpg Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598628903264-NR7JJU1OWKSPWB61MOE7/IMG_1812.jpeg Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598628936899-2QG7DTS1V2OEQ7TKZ036/IMG_9809.JPG Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598628965349-TQMNJ672DXQ3ECDZEOH8/IMG_8935.jpg Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598629061154-GUTAEXMEHVQIM6TSU6J3/IMG_9122.jpeg Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598629612057-CUDXJKOILQOEUCKQPJOK/IMG_2602.jpg Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598629619246-AEOBIHIRB9WNH5RO8DCW/IMG_9233.jpg Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598814180805-T8Q1IWVTSBGEW237ZOXY/TBI_Teaching_RLL.jpg Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/8d0751a1-9b97-45ab-90df-411b48fca06b/Humans+and+Climate+banner+image.jpg Teaching - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598471815857-64VDH6HDNUU61TMZRGBO/IMG_2633_PERMIL_Gitonga.jpg Teaching Lab manager John Gitonga explains cryogenic extraction of water from plant and soil samples to undergraduate students in the Tropical Biology and Sustainability in Kenya Program. Extracted waters are analyzed for stable isotope ratios using a Picarro analyzer in the PERMILab at Mpala. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598468399126-4SZEEZFGQVBYUWK561U3/IMG_1717.jpg Teaching Students in Terrestrial Paleoecology (EEEB OC3928) documenting carnivore damage on an elephant limb bone at Mpala. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598626868214-02INRL24Q5FXNE9GZ8R8/dinosaur.jpg Teaching https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598470993583-KQBYJMDVW7V61NAD8S4F/demenocal_2015.jpg Teaching Hominin taxonomy, vegetation proxies and hominin diet records compiled by Peter deMenocal (Scientific American, 2014). https://kevinuno.com/permilab daily 0.75 2025-06-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598632864733-KLGOVM525J3GA47MGF0H/IMG_1284.jpg PERMILab The lab building under construction, Nov, 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633006500-HVBGOXEH03AO6RHZSLVR/Genomics_isotope-lab.jpg PERMILab The lab building finished, spring 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633008582-KN839UWGZGI7Y21S4WZC/IMG_8904_empty+lab.jpg PERMILab PERMILab as an empty canvas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633058572-73PFC5CSK42YZ68LN265/Isotope_Lab_instrument+layout+w_grids.png PERMILab Floor plan draft https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633058676-T4R0OYC6HSA2EZZA1040/Isotope_Lab_north_side+w_grids.png PERMILab North wall lab bench design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633124981-82NZ388G436C7KZ6TECS/lab+build+out.jpg PERMILab Cabinets were built by a local carpenter in Nanyuki https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633199118-3VQ5NDO0RJEW163RPOAN/north+wall+cabinets.JPG PERMILab https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633137505-5671AZJXZMXA8HZQ4TTF/2019-04-26+09.26.03.jpg PERMILab Christmas in April! Phase I of the equipment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633137588-W8M2QM99F3455D4XN4Q9/2019-04-26+11.16.23.jpg PERMILab John Gitonga was instrumental in setting up the lab https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633261963-SBMP9VZFW0ZRZVCFKTUD/2019-04-28+09.44.03.jpg PERMILab Setting up the extraction lines https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598633285949-U5TIB463XZ355PATHF2U/2019-04-28+11.42.37.jpg PERMILab Local observers of our work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598634156642-2RDFOQM4XUMD1C9HH2WU/IMG_6106.jpg PERMILab https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598731860791-YKJZYNQUPYF4D4A9UA1N/Picarro+2140-i.jpeg PERMILab https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598564794063-31687VJKGPXPQ8MHK18Y/ext_line_John.jpg PERMILab Lab manager John Gitonga gets the burners cooking and the glass chilling (-196° C!) as he prepares for cryogenic water extractions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598564994784-FNNLBOFTUDTHWUGY2FTL/IMG_5931.jpg PERMILab PERMILab’s main analyzer, a Picarro L2140-i. Photo: Rachel Lupien https://kevinuno.com/sampleprep daily 0.75 2024-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598538781157-CSKUX2WVBWK9PWIA7F87/IMG_1587.jpeg Sample Prep https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598538827437-4TJYKM814RDOBV38ZN21/IMG_1594.jpeg Sample Prep https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598988139851-G3Y0E9FBL78BEX0DZFIK/IMG_4453.jpg Sample Prep https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598988139067-SAMOQ5BLZJI147ELI3AA/IMG_4454.jpg Sample Prep https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598988139885-SGBASICIK0EABZYDJHHC/IMG_4455.jpg Sample Prep https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1619098164002-YWXVU7U8NFOBM0X4DG4K/LabCartoon.jpg Sample Prep Lablife by Emma Gometz (@gymclothescomix); April 2021 https://kevinuno.com/publications daily 0.75 2025-12-09 https://kevinuno.com/lab daily 0.75 2024-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598631911397-YY2RG8BHGHYMRUDS21SK/2019-05-07+13.20.37.jpeg Lab Overview https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598631912443-OVS7J3N9HBW682R3R3CW/IMG_9889.jpeg Lab Overview https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598631991679-MZ0K0GDZCARQ91LJF96O/IMG_1594.jpeg Lab Overview https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598632049848-HCB80O9IPQSY4S0PAMZS/IMG_2200.jpeg Lab Overview https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598987901591-RN5C1UKGXMPW4SB7GY8A/helen_hood.jpeg Lab Overview Former lab manager Helen Habicht drying down samples in the Organic Geochem Lab. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598399937555-D5N31SH1RK3QJWH4AD25/Kevin_IRMS.jpeg Lab Overview A reminder that I used to do more lab work. Photo: Pratigya Polissar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1619195922441-AOFTS76BU9GYM0C3FUKN/LabCartoon.jpg Lab Overview Lablife by Emma Gometz (@gymclothescomix); April 2021 https://kevinuno.com/people daily 0.75 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/e5d61a66-cffa-4a65-adc4-cf071bb76549/Kevin+in+Aberdares+2023.jpg People - Kevin Uno, Associate Professor Tobias Keene, D.D.S. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Tobias Keene brings a bit of unabashed Southern hospitality to all his patients. He moved to Washington, D.C. over thirty years ago as a freshman at Ivy College. Right after graduation, he attended World University’s School of Dentistry. Before opening Keene Dental in 1994, he worked for free clinics and some of the finest practices in the District. He is part of the 123 Dental Association and stays up-to-date on the latest dental discoveries. When not striving to keep his patients happy and healthy, he’s enjoys hiking with his family in Rock Creek Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/68c89cd7-91f0-4b80-88d4-527c9a409b3e/Bryce+Mistunaga+crop.jpeg People - Make it stand out Bryce Mitsunaga, Postdoc https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/c81144d6-637e-4a9f-b543-ba5de1775854/Margot+Louail.jpg People - Make it stand out Margot Louail, Postdoc https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/97dd7984-0cce-4e23-8cfd-32a2bcbd76f4/Jon+Smolen.jpg People - Make it stand out Jonathan Smolen, Postdoc https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/7bc74e07-e4b1-4876-897b-8210195307ae/Worthey_photo.jpg People - Make it stand out Kayla Worthey, Postdoc https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1622811502194-AROSKBV1CHPN6AL4LAY2/Ruth_Tweedy.jpg People - Ruth Tweedy, Graduate Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/81981d31-0e65-4651-8014-ba4d2fb6e72f/Valencia+Ajeh.jpg People - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/c8c1869e-fd79-408d-8b52-f9e03d4b61e8/Frank+Farley.jpg People - Make it stand out Frank Farley, Research Assistant https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/bce2497b-8ae6-4a8c-9fa3-1b123cdf2e92/Natalia+de+los+Rios.jpg People - Make it stand out Natalia de los Rios, Undergraduate Researcher https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1707065189589-JV4W93ESD853V137AZDI/image-asset.jpeg People - Make it stand out Arya Prasad, Lab Assistant https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1726345672382-TX0D3TZRMJD3RITCQ4RX/unsplash-image-30BOPxcW1CA.jpg People - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://kevinuno.com/home daily 1.0 2025-11-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598624671157-YCJ2BW91VH0RG1S8FAS7/Climate_Veg_Hominin_No_background.png Home Welcome to the Uno Terrestrial Paleoecology Research Group! We are geochemists and earth scientists who study past changes in climate, ecosystems, and mammalian and human evolution, with a focus on their interconnectedness. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/c434a683-43bb-49ea-879b-2a59eccefa06/IMG_0788.jpg Home - Make it stand out Most of the lab members at the Human Evolutionary Biology Department retreat at Crane Beach, MA, September, 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/ea9ed2b7-e5d9-4cfc-9450-835f85faedcf/Kahle+2013+AGU+Poster.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598541346409-NXWWUSQIAVA8FOGZZEP3/LGBT+Sticker+LDEO+new.jpg Home https://kevinuno.com/research daily 0.75 2023-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/6d667806-4990-4145-8be9-d8706e06a2b3/IMG_4417.jpeg Research - BIOMARKERS IN MODERN PLANTS AND SOILS Paleoecologists use a variety of approaches to reconstruct past ecosystems. This project seeks to understand how biomarkers in modern plants and soils can be used to develop and improve existing proxies for woody cover and plant functional type in the geologic record. We seek to compare multiple proxies at modern sites, where we can identify vegetation types and quantify climate variables, through collaboration with botany experts Mbaluka Kimeu, Mathias Mbale, Jonathan Sila, and Augustine Barasa from the National Museums of Kenya Herbarium, paleobotanist Tammo Reichgelt, and pollen and phytolith experts Rahab Kinyanjui, Alice Novello, and Caroline Stromberg. Uno, et al., 2018 AGU poster; Shi et al., 2018 AGU poster, and Tweedy and Uno, 2022 AGU Poster. Field team in Aberdare National Park, Kenya in June 2023. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598392313731-2KMDUAB70MN608MC1BVL/IMG_3494_Shungura%2Bdeposits.jpg Research - BIOMARKERS IN ANCIENT SEDIMENTS We use stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes from plant wax biomarkers to reconstruct vegetation and hydroclimate in the past. We also are working to develop non-isotopic biomarker proxies for paleo vegetation and fire. For this we turn to n-alkane distributions, pentacyclic triterpene methyl ethers (PTMEs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Biomarkers are preserved in many archives: deep sea sediments, ancient lake beds, and fossil soils, known as paleosols. These different archives integrate and record across different spatial and temporal scales which provides many avenues of opportunity to study ancient ecosystems. Uno et al., 2016a; Uno et al., 2016b; Polissar et al., 2019 Stacked paleosols and fluvio-lacustrine sediments in the Shungura Formation of the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598457985447-4EI1L9PL23STD8MH9V10/teeth+for+website-01.png Research - STABLE ISOTOPES IN TEETH You are what you eat. Analysis of carbon and oxygen isotopes of fossil enamel reveals information about diet and environment. We showed that enamel isotopes can be used to track long term dietary changes in herbivores resulting from grassland expansion in eastern Africa over the past 10 million years. Uno et al., 2011; Cerling et al., 2015; Bibi et al., 2013 We have also been involved in studies of hominin diets that showed Homo maintained a diverse diet while others, like Paranthropus, became more restricted in its diet. Cerling et al., 2013; Cerling et al., 2011. Intratooth isotope profiles (see Elephas molar, right) are a unique approach that allow us to assess seasonal changes in rainfall and diet millions of years ago. Annual rainfall patterns play a critical role in resource availability for humans and other mammals. Uno et al., 2013; Uno et al., 2018; Uno et al., 2020a; Uno et al., 2020b; Uno et al., 2020c; Yang et al, 2020; https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598559264256-TJGBTH4I5EOPGD6W403G/IMG_8666.jpg Research - ABRUPT CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE SAHARA How did past human populations respond to abrupt climate change? Gobero is an archeological site in Niger that may hold some answers. During the latter part of the African Humid Period (~14,000 to 5,000 years ago), increased rainfall created a semi-permanent lake at Gobero, where two cycles of human settlement and abandonment between 9.5 and 4.5 ka BP are recorded in lake sediments (Sereno et al, 2008). Gobero is unique among all archeological sites in the Sahara because of its incredible record of ~200 human burials that have been recovered along with stone tools, jewelry, and harpoons for fishing. In addition, there is a rich faunal record that includes crocodiles, turtles, fish, hippos, pigs, giraffes, and elephants. This project seeks to reconstruct climate conditions that led to occupation and abandonment of the site. To do this, I use stable isotope analysis of tooth enamel to reconstruct diets and biomarkers in sediments to reconstruct vegetation and rainfall. A bone harpoon, exposed on the desert surface, is still embedded in paleolake sediments. Whoever threw this missed their fish! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598462916294-PYCIJ58PCIESREHEGBAD/Ivory+for+website.png Research - WILDLIFE FORENSICS What started out as a project to assess growth rates in teeth evolved into a powerful tool for fighting illegal trade of elephant ivory and other animal parts. Uno et al., 2013 We radiocarbon date confiscated ivory to accurately determine the year of death of an elephant, which in turn determines if ivory trade is legal or not based on CITES regulations. This technique relies on bomb-curve radiocarbon (14C) generated from nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s-1960s that enables us to determine a date of death with an uncertainty of several months in some cases. With colleagues, we found that ~90% of ivory intercepted as it moved through the black market was from elephants killed within three years of the seizure date (Cerling et al., 2016). This suggests anti-poaching efforts should be stepped-up in poaching hotspots. Ivory confiscated in Manhattan from 2015-2016 during Operation White Gold, conducted by the NYDEC. Photos: Wendy Hapgood https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598796855561-BBGX36Z0CP21M412NKZZ/IMG_1501+elephant.jpeg Research An elephant at Meru National Park, Kenya. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598813628677-F1UPVJEC00B69IR8AH8T/2019-04-10+16.16.19-2_black_skull.jpg Research Specimen KNM-WT 17000, also known as Black Skull, is a Paranthropus aethiopicus skull (cast left; original, right). Isotopes show it was a mixed C3-C4 feeder. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598813441069-MONFL8OS2KHLHZIJCT45/IMG_0511%29Gobero_triple_burial.jpg Research The Triple Burial from Gobero. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f455171e95530265b81d90d/1598813826146-AN225J0IG11D7KI0UG3C/IMG_9493_East+Turkana+Grassland.jpg Research A grassland in East Turkana near the town of Ileret.