Carrie Tyler

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Professor, UNLV Department of Geoscience
Expertise: Marine conservation, Paleobiology, Paleoecology, Evolution of marine invertebrates, Taphonomy

Biography

Carrie Tyler is a marine conservation paleobiologist whose research focuses on understanding the evolution of underwater ecosystems, particularly how marine food webs respond to dramatic change, and the relationship between biodiversity and marine food webs throughout ancient history to modern day.

Tyler, who joined UNLV's faculty in 2022, examines the effects of prey consumption and environmental changes on ecosystems — especially in the modern rocky intertidal, or range between high and low tide lines. Her work also seeks to assess the quality of fossils and determine ways to use that information to inform paleoecology, as well as conservation law and policy.

In addition to wrestling with topics such as past climate change and natural resources, students in Tyler's classes also learn about ecosystem functioning and recovery, habitat loss, and mass extinction.

Education

  • Ph.D., Geosciences, Virginia Tech
  • M.S., Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, San Diego University
  • B.A., Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder

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Carrie Tyler In The News

Some marine species have had the same jobs for millions of years
Earth.com
For years, scientists have asked whether fossils record how ocean ecosystems actually worked, not just which species were there. A new study answers that question with a careful field test along the North Carolina coast.
Discover the Ocean’s Most Ingenious Home Builders
A-Z Animals
Humans are some of the greatest builders on the planet, but we’re not the only ones. Beneath the ocean, some unlikely creatures build breathtakingly intricate structures with a variety of clever techniques and materials. Underwater homes serve many purposes: they shelter offspring, offer refuge from predators, and in some cases, support entire ecosystems. Some of these creatures even open their homes to other species. And some can even be kept in a home aquarium, where you can watch them build their homes.
Marine fossils are a reliable reference of what ecosystems were like before humans
Cope
Humans began to alter environments long before records were kept of the things that lived in them, making it difficult for scientists to determine what healthy ecosystems should look like. The researchers have now shown that the recent fossil record preserves an authoritative snapshot of marine environments as they existed before humans.
The fossil record holds clues about modern-day marine ecology
Popular Science
As we plunge into Earth’s sixth stage of mass extinction (that we are aware of), biologists looking to conserve and restore ecosystems that have been stripped of plant and animal life can face a pretty daunting task. However, help is on the way in the form of some of the ocean’s worms, mollusks, and crabs. A study published July 11 in the journal PeerJ, finds that fossils from these groups are actually preserved in the fossil record in proportion to their diversity, making for a solid source of information about past ecosystems.
All Carrie Tyler In The News

Articles Featuring Carrie Tyler

UNLV Newsmakers 2025: August
First day of classes.
Campus News | September 9, 2025

The top news stories starring university students and staff.

Study: Fossils Reveal Reliable Record of Marine Ecosystem Functioning
sea shells spread on table with water pouring over them
Research | August 26, 2025

Research published in PNAS confirms fossilized marine invertebrates serve as a powerful tool for understanding long-term ecological change and informing modern conservation efforts.

UNLV Newsmakers 2023: Summer
Graduation surprise
Campus News | August 1, 2023

News stories from the summer featuring UNLV students and faculty.

All Articles Featuring Carrie Tyler