ECODIV · Ecological diversity of land vertebrates through the largest extinction in Earth history
„Хоризонт 2020“ — Действия „Мария Склодовска-Кюри“
- Период
- 2022-03-01 → 2025-02-28
- Финансиране от ЕС
- 271 733 €
- Участници
- 2
- Схема
- MSCA-IF
Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.
Накратко на български
Екологичното разнообразие на сухоземните гръбначите се анализира чрез фосилите от най-голямото измиране в историята на Земята преди 252 милиона години. Това помага да се разбере как масовите кризи променят еволюцията и оформят състава на екосистемите.
Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.
Резултати накратко
Ecological diversity of land vertebrates through the largest extinction in Earth history
Contemporary Earth’s ecosystems are threatened by accelerating extinction rates, but their responses to biodiversity losses are not detectable on short-time scales. However, large-scale biodiversity crises, or ‘mass extinctions’, occurred in the past and their long-term effects are detectable and measurable in the fossil record, although still poorly understood. For example, the origin of modern-style ecosystems can be linked to the most severe biodiversity crisis in Earth history at the Permian-Triassic boundary (PTME; ~252 million years ago). This event caused the disappearance of over 70% of vertebrate species: land communities of the Triassic were transformed and recolonised by surviving and entirely new groups of animals that diversified to exploit ecological roles that did not exist in Permian ecosystems. This hints that extinctions may play a fundamental role in driving evolution altering the evolutionary trajectory of ecosystems by altering the composition of ecosystems and by favouring an increase in ecological complexity. Nevertheless, the ecological impacts of mass extinctions and biodiversity crisis on ecosystems are still poorly understood. ECODIV, explored these gaps of knowledge and developed methods that I used to describe patterns of ecological diversity approaching, during and in the aftermath of the PTME. We first targeted gaps in the fossil-record using on fieldwork and repository data of exceptionally well-preserved and well-sampled ecosystems. Using these data, ECODIV established new ways to quantify and compare patterns of ecological diversity in deep-time that can be used to assess the appearance/disappearance of major groups and their ecological roles in ecosystems across different phases of the PTME.
Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз
Цел на проекта
Contemporary Earth’s ecosystems are threatened by accelerating extinction rates, but their responses to biodiversity losses are not detectable on short time scales. However, many large-scale biodiversity crises, or ‘mass extinctions’, occurred in the past and played a fundamental role in evolution. For instance, modern-style ecosystems originated from the worst biodiversity crisis in Earth history (PTME) at the Permian-Triassic boundary (~252 million years ago). The PTME killed over 70% of vertebrate species and created opportunities for new groups to diversify. After the extinction, Triassic land vertebrate assemblages were transformed, and new species diversified in ecological roles that were unexploited in Permian ecosystems. This suggests that extinctions may change the evolutionary trajectory of ecosystems and increase ecological complexity. Nevertheless, the ecological impacts of mass extinctions on ecosystems are still poorly understood. For the first time, this project critically investigates how the ecological structure and composition of land ecosystems changed across the PTME and its connection to biodiversity recovery. We will target the fossil record of exceptionally preserved Permian-Triassic ecosystems, alongside new field data from critical, but poorly sampled time intervals. Using a suite of novel approaches modified from modern ecology, we will quantify changes in ecological diversity, richness and stability of land ecosystems and major vertebrate groups. These patterns will be used to understand what factors drive biodiversity and the evolution of ecosystems during and after times of crisis. Through a comprehensive training and knowledge exchange programme, the experienced researcher and hosts will bring together and integrate their expertise in palaeontology, biology, quantitative techniques, and macroevolution to deliver this timely, innovative, and interdisciplinary project that will address fundamental ecological questions.
Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).
Участници
- THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM · BirminghamКоординаторОбединеното кралство
- VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY · Blacksburg VaСъединени щати
Връзки
Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз