Beta Redundancy in Late Ordovician Communities across the Niagara Escarpment, Ontario: Implications for Modern Conservation Policy and Science Communication

Of the five mass extinction events preserved in the fossil record, the Ordovician-Silurian mass extinction (the so-called “first mass extinction”) is unique in that it had extremely limited long-term impacts. Despite eliminating over 50% of all species on Earth at the time, shallow marine communities around the globe rapidly recovered, providing scientists a unique opportunity to understand the processes that enable ecosystems to withstand rapid climate changes. In conjunction with the Association of Professional Geologists Ontario (APGO) Education Foundation, this project aims to explore the extensive fossil communities preserved along the Niagara Escarpment, characterizing how they developed before, during, and after the first mass extinction. The APGO Education Foundation lists dissemination of research on the potential impacts of climate change as one of their key mission goals. This project will provide the APGO Education Foundation with access to leading-edge research on the ecological impacts of large-scale reductions in biodiversity.

Faculty Supervisor:

Alexander Peace;Elli Papangelakis

Student:

Partner:

APGO Education Foundation

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Education; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

McMaster University

Program: