About

Jennifer A. Cotton, MD, RDMS, is an emergency physician who specializes in the treatment of medical emergencies. She graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and completed an Emergency Medicine Residency at the Ohio State University. She also completed a fellowship in Emergency Ultrasound at the University of Utah. Dr. Cotton teaches in several medical student courses and oversees the ultrasound curriculum for the University of Utah School of Medicine. She is an assistant professor (clinical) in the Eccles Health Library and holds board certifications from the American Board of Emergency Medicine in Emergency Medicine and the National Board of Echocardiography in Critical Care Echocardiography. Her academic and research interests include emergency ultrasound and improving emergency care through innovative imaging techniques.

Research topics

• Geology
• Paleontology
• Atmospheric sciences
• Economic growth
• Oceanography
• Biology
• Internal medicine
• Climatology
• Earth science
• Medicine
• Economics
• Virology
• Environmental science
• Engineering
• Astrobiology

Selected publications

• Paleo- ecosystem, climate and fire dynamics during the Late Miocene-Pliocene in Northwest Argentina

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2026-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Improving paleoclimate predictions from paleosol geochemistry

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2026-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Modern (Table SI1) and paleo (Table SI2) compilation datasets for the SGPM model

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2025-12-23

  datasetOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Modern (Table SI1) and paleo (Table SI2) compilation datasets for the SGPM model

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2025-12-23

  datasetOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Late Miocene expansion of grasslands in northwest Argentina linked to shifting hydroclimate: A complex interaction among tectonics, climate, and ecology

  Geological Society of America Bulletin · 2025-03-07 · 1 citations

  article

  Abstract Factors driving the late Miocene expansion of C4 grasses remain widely debated. Here, we explored the role of climate and fire in controlling the abundance of C4 vegetation in the Angastaco Basin (Palo Pintado area) and La Viña Basin, NW Argentina, during the late Miocene (ca. 14–5.33 Ma). From paleosol horizons, we reconstructed paleoclimate and paleovegetation conditions using phytolith assemblages, geochemical and isotopic proxies, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to determine fire input. Our paleoclimate reconstructions suggest a stable mean annual temperature (MAT) of ~10 °C and a gradual decline in mean annual precipitation (MAP) from 1100 mm yr−1 to 850 mm yr−1. Paleovegetation reconstructions from carbon isotopic composition and phytolith assemblages show a maximum of ~15% C4 vegetation by 6 Ma. No significant increases in fire occurrence or establishment of fire feedbacks were identified from the PAH data. Though low in abundance (~3% on average), our data identified the presence of C4 grass by the late Miocene. The lack of significant C4 expansion in this region was likely controlled by the changing hydroclimatic conditions associated with the Andes mountain range—increasing aridity and elevation constraints along with the lack of a fire feedback might have limited the distribution of C4 vegetation.

  PublisherDOI

• IMPROVING PALEOCLIMATE PREDICTIONS FROM PALEOSOL GEOCHEMISTRY: A CASE STUDY FROM THE MIOCENE OF ARGENTINA

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2024-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• USING PALEOSOLS OF PATAGONIA TO RECONSTRUCT MID-CRETACEOUS TO EARLY PALEOGENE CLIMATES

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2024-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• USING BIOMARKERS TO DETERMINE THE IMPACTS OF FIRE FREQUENCY ON LATE MIOCENE C4 GRASS EXPANSION IN CENTRAL ARGENTINA

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2024-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• USING CARBON ISOTOPES IN PALEOSOLS TO CONSTRAIN THE LATE MIOCENE EXPANSION OF C₄ GRASSES IN TUCUMÁN AND LA RIOJA PROVINCES, NORTHWESTERN ARGENTINA

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2024-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• LATE MIOCENE CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND C4 GRASS DYNAMICS IN SOUTH AMERICA: INSIGHTS FROM CLIMATE SIMULATIONS AND PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2024-01-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Ethan G. Hyland

  32 shared

• M. Sol Raigemborn

  15 shared

• Nadja Insel

  12 shared

• David Tineo

  Universidad Nacional de La Plata

  11 shared

• Nathan D. Sheldon

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  11 shared

• Iffat Azmi

  10 shared

• Kathryn A. Hoppe

  Green River Community College

  9 shared

• Adit Ghosh

  8 shared

Labs

• Jennifer A. Cotton LabPI

Education

• M.D.

  University of Kentucky College of Medicine

• Other, Emergency Medicine

  Ohio State University

• Other, Emergency Ultrasound

  University of Utah

Awards & honors

• Fellow, American College of Emergency Physicians