{{Short description|Palaeobiologist}} {{use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Sarah Gabbott | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = | nationality = | fields = | workplaces = {{Plainlist| *University of Leicester }} | alma_mater = {{Plainlist| *University of Southampton *University of Leicester }} | thesis_title = The palaeontology and taphonomy of the Soom Shale : an Upper Ordovician lagerstatte, South Africa. | thesis_url = https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1063634271 | thesis_year = 1996 | doctoral_advisor = | known_for = | awards = | website = https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/geology/people/gabbott-s }}
'''Sarah Gabbott''' is a palaeobiologist from the University of Leicester.<ref>{{Cite web|last=map2|title=Professor Sarah Gabbott — University of Leicester|url=https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/geology/people/gabbott-s|access-date=2021-11-04|website=www2.le.ac.uk|language=en|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160403/https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/geology/people/gabbott-s|url-status=live}}</ref> She is known for her research on decomposition and fossilization.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hugo|first=Kristin|date=2018-03-21|title=Scientists are studying rotting animal carcasses to understand why complete dinosaur fossils are so rare|url=https://www.newsweek.com/dinosaur-decomposition-study-explains-why-fossils-are-rarely-complete-854093|access-date=2021-11-04|website=Newsweek|language=en}}</ref> Her focus is soft-bodied animals, details of which are often lost during decay.
== Early life and education == Gabbott received an undergraduate degree in geology from the University of Southampton. She went on to receive a doctorate in paleobiology from the University of Leicester on the topic of Soom Shale fossils. She remained at the University of Leicester as a post-doctoral researcher before being appointed lecturer.<ref>{{Cite web|last=mjs76|title=Sarah Gabbott — University of Leicester|url=https://www2.le.ac.uk/institution/inaugural-lectures/previous/autumn-term-2017/gabbott|access-date=2021-11-04|website=www2.le.ac.uk|language=en|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104201828/https://www2.le.ac.uk/institution/inaugural-lectures/previous/autumn-term-2017/gabbott|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Career == Gabbott leads a paleobiology lab at the University of Leicester which studies the way primitive vertebrates, such as hagfish or rag worms, decompose. This work sheds light on the process of fossilization by determining which types of tissues are preserved and which of them rot away rapidly.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brandon Specktor|date=2018-03-22|title=Why This Lab Reeks of Animal Flesh and Contains a Suitcase Full of Slime|url=https://www.livescience.com/62100-rotting-hagfish-vertebrate-fossils.html|access-date=2021-11-04|website=livescience.com|language=en|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104154900/https://www.livescience.com/62100-rotting-hagfish-vertebrate-fossils.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The findings can improve the quality of modern reconstructions or restorations based on fossils.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The curse of zombie fossils|url=https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/700048|access-date=2021-11-04|website=EurekAlert!|language=en|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104175152/https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/700048|url-status=live}}</ref> In particular, features that evolved more recently were among the first to decay, causing fossils to appear like their ancestors and making identification more difficult.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cressey|first=Daniel|date=2010-01-31|title=Something rotten in the state of palaeontology|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/news.2010.45|journal=Nature|language=en|doi=10.1038/news.2010.45|issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free|url-access=subscription|archive-date=6 November 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106154904/https://www.nature.com/articles/news.2010.45|url-status=live}}</ref> Gabbott also studies environmental factors to fossil preservation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarkable preservation of African fossils explained|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101129111740.htm|access-date=2021-11-04|website=ScienceDaily|language=en|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104192858/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101129111740.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> She often works with extremely well-preserved fossils such as those from the Burgess Shales<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ancient Puzzle Solved In Fossils From Canadian Rockies, Dating To Cambrian Explosion|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219095801.htm|access-date=2021-11-04|website=ScienceDaily|language=en|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104192859/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219095801.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> or the Soom Shale.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Mosher|first=Dave|title=Glacial Silt Encased Some of Earth's Best-Preserved Fossils|language=en-US|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/12/fossil-glacier-wind/|access-date=2021-11-04|issn=1059-1028}}</ref>
In 2016, Gabbott's team determined that ''Tullimonstrum'' is a vertebrate based on cellular structures in the eyes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prehistoric peepers give vital clue in solving 300 million year old 'Tully Monster'|url=https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/632525|access-date=2021-11-04|website=EurekAlert!|language=en}}</ref> Further investigations into eye tissues of jawless fish fossils showed that vision was more developed in Carboniferous hagfish than in their modern counterparts.<ref>{{Cite web|title=New light shed on how vertebrates see: Details in eyes of 300-million-year-old lamprey and hagfish fossils|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160802222253.htm|access-date=2021-11-04|website=ScienceDaily|language=en|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104192900/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160802222253.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> This process is known as regressive evolution.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-10-06|title=5 Times Evolution Ran in 'Reverse'|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/reverse-evolution-explained-hagfish-penguins-snakes-science|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428193852/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/reverse-evolution-explained-hagfish-penguins-snakes-science|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 April 2021|access-date=2021-11-04|website=Science|language=en}}</ref>
Gabbott's research interest include soft-bodied animals from the Cambrian Period. In 2017, she studied symbiotic relationships between worms after fossils of ''Inquicus fellatus'' were found attached to the larger ''Cricocosmia jinnigensis'' and ''Mafangscolex sinensi''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Infested fossil worms show ancient examples of symbiosis|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170830121110.htm|access-date=2021-11-04|website=ScienceDaily|language=en}}</ref> In 2018, Gabbott was a co-discoverer of the chancelloriid species ''Allonnia nuda''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strange sponge-like fossil creature from half a billion years ago|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180619230853.htm|access-date=2021-11-04|website=ScienceDaily|language=en|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104175151/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180619230853.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
Since 2017, she has expanded her research focus to address the long-term effects of plastic in the environment.<ref>{{Cite web|last=sg21|title=Plastics research — University of Leicester|url=https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/geology/people/gabbott-s/personal/plastics-research|access-date=2021-11-04|website=www2.le.ac.uk|language=en|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104201826/https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/geology/people/gabbott-s/personal/plastics-research|url-status=live}}</ref>
Gabbott is Director of the Advanced Microscopy Centre at the University of Leicester Department of Engineering.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Advanced Microscopy Facility {{!}} College of Science and Engineering {{!}} University of Leicester|url=https://le.ac.uk/cse/research/facilities/advanced-microscopy-facility|access-date=2021-11-04|website=le.ac.uk|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104201828/https://le.ac.uk/cse/research/facilities/advanced-microscopy-facility|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2003, Gabbott was featured on the BBC series "The Big Monster Dig".<ref>{{Cite web|title=RDF digs up old patents, fossils for C4|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/rdf-digs-up-old-patents-fossils-for-c4/|access-date=2021-11-04|website=C21media|language=en-us|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104201827/https://www.c21media.net/news/rdf-digs-up-old-patents-fossils-for-c4/|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Awards and honours ==
* 1998 President's Award of the Geological Society of London<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Geological Society of London - President's Awards|url=https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/About/awards-grants-and-bursaries/society-awards/presidents-awards|access-date=2021-11-04|website=www.geolsoc.org.uk|archive-date=14 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314232205/https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/About/awards-grants-and-bursaries/society-awards/presidents-awards|url-status=live}}</ref> * 1994 Annual Meeting President's Prize of the Palaeontological Association<ref>{{Cite web|title=Medal and Award Winners List {{!}} The Palaeontological Association|url=https://www.palass.org/awards-grants/awards/medal-and-award-winners-list|access-date=2021-11-04|website=www.palass.org|language=en|archive-date=3 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103073724/https://www.palass.org/awards-grants/awards/medal-and-award-winners-list|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Personal life == Gabbott is a contributor to BBC online science articles.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-08-02|title=Pollination threatened by artificial light|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40803960|access-date=2021-11-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-07-28|title=Secrets of the world's toughest creatures revealed|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40752669|access-date=2021-11-04|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111174132/https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40752669|url-status=live}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gabbott, Sarah}} Category:Paleobiologists Category:Academics of the University of Leicester Category:Alumni of the University of Leicester Category:Alumni of the University of Southampton Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people