Congratulations
to Caroline!
It was with great pleasure that N.E.G.S. awarded
its annual Prize for 2008 to Caroline Sogot, Durham University. She
was selected for the prize for her 4th Year Research Project, an
abstract of which is below.
Testing for ecological and latitudinal selectivity during the K/T mass extinction.
Mass extinctions have been studied extensively in terms of their taxonomic impact, but little is known about their ecological implications. This quantitative study of ecological selectivity provides an insight into the ecological importance, mechanisms and evolutionary significance of the K/T mass extinction.
This study finds the K/T event to be selective in terms of tiering group, with a preferential extinction of pelagic and erect epifaunal families. Lower latitudes are also found to be more vulnerable than other latitudes. These results are attributed to a range of complex changes to the sea surface temperature, primary productivity and other environmental variables, the effects of which were more pronounced at low latitudes.
The selection processes at the K/T event are found to act upon the family level, thus indicating that at times of mass extinction, processes of natural selection are acting at a higher level. This "higher-Darwinism" implies that mass extinctions alter normal evolutionary processes by adhering to different rules. Both mass extinction and background extinction must therefore be considered in terms of shaping biotic evolution. Although the K/T event is found to be selective, ecologically and latitudinally, it is concluded that the survival of taxa is ultimately owed to chance.
Caroline has kindly sent a PowerPoint
presentation, related to her research, and
presented at Progressive Palaeontology in Manchester in May. It can
be accessed by clicking here.
(MS Office PowerPoint software needed.)
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