IRES: Late Paleozoic Gondwanan Ecosystems

University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee WI

Investigators

Abstract

Nontechnical: The late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA) was the longest, most widespread glacial interval on Earth after complex, multicellular organisms evolved. Despite the significance of this time interval for understanding contemporary global change, it is understudied in non-tropical regions of Pangea. It is of fundamental importance to establish a deep-time perspective on changing paleoecosystems to predict future perturbations in global systems. We will train future Earth scientists in hypothesis-driven, field-based research in Argentina. The scientific research objectives will be met using fossils, sedimentary rocks, and the geochemistry of these rocks and fossils. Outreach activities aimed at increasing the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the Geosciences form the core of the broader impacts of the project. Technical: We proposed a multi-faceted program of research and student mentorship on late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA) paleoecosystems. The LPIA is regarded as the best pre-Quaternary analogue for contemporary global change. Despite the significance of this time interval in the climate history of Earth, our understanding of the response of marine and terrestrial ecosystems to late Paleozoic climate and environmental change remains poorly understood. Our multidisciplinary research will include paleoecological, geochemical, and stratigraphic analyses on extensively preserved floral and faunal fossils in southern and western Argentina. To recruit a broader cross section of the diverse SE Wisconsin area to the Geosciences, our rigorous recruitment and training strategy involves new outreach programs created by the PIs and leveraging existing multi-institutional collaborations. Different cohorts of undergraduate and graduate students will travel with the PIs to Argentina for up to 4 weeks each year to conduct research on paleoclimatic and paleoecologic change during the LPIA. Respected Argentinian specialists will provide expertise on different aspects of LPIA paleoecosystems, including biostratigraphy.