Project description
Impact of mass extinction on land vertebrate evolution
Past mass extinction events, such as the Permian–Triassic mass extinction (PTME) that killed over 70 % of vertebrate species, have played a fundamental role in evolution by enabling new groups of animals to diversify. However, the ecological impacts of mass extinctions on ecosystems are still poorly understood. The EU-funded ECODIV project will study the fossil record of Permian-Triassic ecosystems along with new field data from critical time intervals to determine how the ecological structure and composition of land ecosystems changed across the PTME and its connection to biodiversity recovery. By applying novel approaches modified from modern ecology, the project will quantify changes in ecological diversity, richness and stability of land ecosystems and major vertebrate groups to understand which factors drive biodiversity and the evolution of ecosystems during and after times of crisis.
Objective
Contemporary Earths 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.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences palaeontology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
B15 2TT Birmingham
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.