- Role
- Finalist
- Region
- Bay Area
- Pronouns
- she/her/hers
Annie Gong
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Project
Pioneering Computational Fluid Dynamics in Paleontology: Modelling Cambrian Sponge Feeding Efficiency
Project #3303
Paleontology, the study of ancient life, helps us understand how ecosystems evolved and how they may respond to future change. While traditional paleontology relies on qualitative reconstructions that offer limited insight into how ancient organisms functioned, this project introduces an innovative quantitative approach to fossil function by applying computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to model water flow around extinct Cambrian archaeocyatha, the earliest reef-building organisms. Using Fusion 360 to create 3D models and COMSOL to run CFD simulations, I analyzed how the organism’s morphology influenced feeding efficiency to interpret their evolutionary patterns. CFD allows for a quantitative link between form and function, revealing how certain adaptations allowed archaeocyatha to thrive for a time but ultimately contributed to their extinction. This novel use of CFD shifts paleontological research from interpretive reconstructions to evidence-based modeling, opening new possibilities for functional analysis across the fossil record.
- Challenge
- Curiosity and Ingenuity
- Category
- Senior
- Type
- Discovery