Dr. Laura Cooper is a researcher at the University of Edinburgh who led a groundbreaking study on prototaxites, an ancient organism that has puzzled scientists for nearly 170 years. Her research, published in the journal Science, reveals that well-preserved fossils from Aberdeenshire represent a distinct extinct lineage that doesn't fit into any existing biological kingdom. She recently completed her PhD, with this discovery forming a central part of her doctoral thesis.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Dr. Laura Cooper and the significance of her research being published in Science

01:25 - What is prototaxites and why it's caused scientific debate for 170 years

02:21 - The origin of the name "prototaxites" and why it's misleading

02:44 - How the organism has been classified throughout history, fr ...