Carole Hickman

Carole Hickman is a Curator and Professor at the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) within the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on the morphology, function, and evolutionary history of marine gastropods, investigating how biological structures produce complex patterns over time.

Using a multidisciplinary approach, Hickman integrates paleontology, evolutionary biology, and biogeography to analyze deep-sea mollusk fossils. Her work emphasizes the sophistication of extinct organisms' adaptive solutions, challenging simplistic notions of evolutionary progress.

• Key Research Themes:
  • Evolutionary patterns in marine gastropods
  • Paleoecology of deep-water mollusk assemblages
  • Biogeographic analysis of Indo-Pacific species
  • Geological context of Paleogene fossil formations

Recent publications highlight systematic studies of bivalves and gastropods from the Keasey Formation (Oregon) and the Indo-West Pacific region. Her research combines anatomical analysis with phylogenetic and geological dating techniques.

Contact: caroleh@berkeley.edu. The UCMP collections are accessible during Cal Day open house events at the Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA.