College of Charleston paleontology professor Phil Manning recently spoke about breakthroughs in fossil research at the 2016 TEDxCharleston program.

In his presentation, Manning explained  the work he and his colleagues have done using a synchrotron that produces light of extraordinary brightness and enables scientists to analyze the chemical composition of fossils at the atomic scale.

Manning, who also serves as director and curator of the College’s Mace Brown Museum of Natural History, and his team have determined the biochemistry and associated anatomy of many extinct animals and related this to how they were preserved in specific environments.

Watch Manning’s TEDxCharleston talk below.