Teresa Torres
Chilean palaeontologist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Teresa Torres is a Chilean palaeontologist best known for her work linking Antarctic fossils to those found in Patagonia, Chile.[1][2] She is a professor at the Universidad de Chile,[3] and was one of the first Chilean women to study petrified forests in Antarctica.[2]
PhD Claude Bernard University
Paleobotany
Teresa Torres | |
|---|---|
| Education | BSc Universidad de Santiago PhD Claude Bernard University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Palaeontology Paleobotany |
| Workplaces | Universidad de Chile |
Early life and education
Torres grew up in Santiago[2] and graduated as a physics schoolteacher at Universidad de Santiago. She completed postgraduate studies in Physics at Rennes University. She then completed a PhD in Paleobotany at Claude Bernard University, Lyon.
Career and impact
Torres has been a professor at Universidad de Chile since 1971. She was a pioneer for Chilean women working in Antarctica.[2] She has led projects to investigate links between Patagonia and the Antarctic peninsula through the study of fossilised plants and animals.[1][4] She discovered 200 million year old fossilized leaves in Antarctica that appear similar to the conifers of southern Chile.[5] She has participated in 20 expeditions to Antarctica.[2]
In addition to peer-reviewed papers,[6] Torres has also written books on Antarctica[7] and popular palaeobotanical guides.[8] She was a founding Member of Asociación Chilena de Paleontología.[9]