Ancient catastrophes could provide keys to climate future
New funding in Norman could help scientists understand how to preserve biodiversity in a world that has alarming similarities to one mass extinction in particular.
David Wright, a paleontologist working at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, has just been awarded a fellowship to continue his research into mass extinctions – those events that typically have eliminated at least 75% of life on Earth.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmp== 9@A6 :D ?@E =@DE[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ%96 =:?6 :D?VE 5C2H? J6E] xE 5@6D?VE 92G6 E@ 36] %96 7FEFC6 :D H92E H6 AFE :? :E ?@H[” 96 D2:5] Q(6 42? >2<6 4@>A2C:D@?D H:E9 H92E H6 <?@H 92D 92AA6?65[ 2?5 H6 42? FD6 @FC <?@H=6586 @7 9:DE@CJ 2D 2 32D6=:?6 7@C H92E 4@F=5 92AA6? :? E96 7FEFC6]Qk^Am
kAm(C:89E[ H9@ E62496D %96 w:DE@CJ @7 {:76 @? t2CE9[ D2:5 E92E E@52J’D 8C66?9@FD6 82DD6D 362C 2 DEC:<:?8 C6D6>3=2?46 E@ E96 724E@CD 367@C6 E96 t?5 !6C>:2? 6G6?E – 2? 6IE:?4E:@? E92E 6=:>:?2E65 2C@F?5 E9C66\BF2CE6CD @7 >2C:?6 2?:>2=D 2=:G6 2E E96 E:>6] %9:D 6G6?E 92AA6?65 23@FE ad_ >:==:@? J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAmz?@H=6586 7C@> DEF5J:?8 E96 A2DE 42? 36 2AA=:65 E@ E96 7FEFC6[ 96=A:?8 AC6D6CG6 3:@5:G6CD:EJ :? 2 D9:7E:?8 H@C=5[ 244@C5:?8 E@ (C:89E]k^Am
kAm(96? 96 =@@<D 2E E96 7@DD:= C64@C5[ (C:89E D66D >@C6 E92? 2?4:6?E 3@?6D 2?5 D96==D—96 D66D 2 =23@C2E@CJ 4@?E2:?:?8 d__ >:==:@? J62CDV H@CE9 @7 64@=@8:42= 6IA6C:>6?ED E92E 92G6 2=C625J A=2J65 @FE] w:D ?6H=J 2H2C565 76==@HD9:A H:== 7F?5 C6D62C49 :?E@ >2DD 6IE:?4E:@?D[ H:E9 7:?5:?8D E92E 4@F=5 AC@G6 4CF4:2= 7@C F?56CDE2?5:?8 2?5 C6DA@?5:?8 E@ E@52JVD 4=:>2E6 4C:D:D]k^Am
kAmQ%96 7@DD:= C64@C5 AC@G:56D 2 D6C:6D @7 ?2EFC2= 6IA6C:>6?ED[Q (C:89E 6IA=2:?65 7C@> 9:D @77:46 2E E96 $2> }@3=6 |FD6F>] Q$@>6E:>6D H6 E9:?< @7 D4:6?46D 2D D6EE:?8 FA 6IA6C:>6?ED[ 3FE 2D 2 A2=6@?E@=@8:DE[ E96 6IA6C:>6?ED 92G6 2=C625J A=2J65 @FE—@FC =23@C2E@CJ :D E96 7@DD:= C64@C5]Qk^Am
kAm(C:89EVD 76==@HD9:A 7@4FD6D @? F?56CDE2?5:?8 E96 t?5 !6C>:2? >2DD 6IE:?4E:@?[ H9:49 @44FCC65 2C@F?5 ad_ >:==:@? J62CD 28@—367@C6 E96 7:CDE 5:?@D2FCD 6G6C 6G@=G65] %9:D 6G6?E[ <?@H? 2D Q%96 vC62E sJ:?8[Q 6=:>:?2E65 C@F89=J h_T @7 >2C:?6 DA64:6D 2?5 fdT @7 E6CC6DEC:2= DA64:6D[ >2<:?8 :E E96 >@DE D6G6C6 6IE:?4E:@? 6G6?E :? t2CE9VD 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAmQ(92EVD 4@?46C?:?8 :D E92E E96 t?5 !6C>:2? 2?5 E@52J 92G6 2 =@E @7 E96D6 A2C2==6=D :? E6C>D @7 E96 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 42FD6D[Q (C:89E D2:5] Q(92EVD 6G6? >@C6 4@?46C?:?8 :D E92E E96 C2E6 @7 r~a AFE :?E@ E96 2E>@DA96C6 E@52J :D 9:896C E92? H92E H6 6DE:>2E6 5FC:?8 E96 t?5 !6C>:2?]Qk^Am
kAm|2DD 6IE:?4E:@?D[ (C:89E 6IA=2:?65[ @44FC H96? QD@>6H96C6 2C@F?5 fdT @C >@C6 DA64:6D 8@ 6IE:?4E H:E9:? A6C92AD =6DD E92? 2 >:==:@? J62CD]Qk^Am
kAm(9:=6 E92E E:>67C2>6 >:89E D66> 4@>7@CE:?8=J 5:DE2?E[ E96 2446=6C2E:@? @7 4FCC6?E 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 492?86D DF886DED 9F>2?:EJ :D @A6C2E:?8 @? 2 >@C6 4@>AC6DD65 E:>6=:?6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 D4:6?E:DED H9@ 2DD:DE65 H:E9 E96 !2C:D r=:>2E6 p8C66>6?E] w@H6G6C[ E96C6 2C6 >2?J 724E@CD 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 4FCC6?E D:EF2E:@? – 2?5 :E >2J ?@E :?G@=G6 >2DD 6IE:?4E:@? 2E 2==[ (C:89E 2DD6?E65] %96C6 2C6 ;FDE 64@=@8:42= DEC6DD@CD E92E 4@2=6D46 H96? 4@?D:56C65 E@86E96C]k^Am
kAmQxEVD FDF2==J ?@E ;FDE @?6 E9:?8 E92E AFD96D 64@DJDE6>D 24C@DD E96 3C:?<[Q (C:89E D2:5] QxE @7E6? :?G@=G6D 2 H9@=6 42D4256 @7 325 E9:?8D E92E 2C6 92AA6?:?8] xE FDF2==J :?G@=G6D 492?86D :? t2CE9VD 8C66?9@FD6 DJDE6> 2?5 492?86D :? 42C3@? 5:@I:56]Qk^Am
kAmw6 6IA=2:?65 C:D:?8 r~a =6G6=D =625 E@ @462? 24:5:7:42E:@?[ H9:49 Q=@H6CD E96 Aw @7 D62H2E6C[ >2<6D :E 5:77:4F=E 7@C @C82?:D>D E92E 3F:=5 D<6=6E@?D =:<6 4@C2=D 2?5 4=2>D E@ =:G6]Q $:>F=E2?6@FD=J[ @462?D 42CCJ =6DD @IJ86?[ Q>2<:?8 :E 6G6? >@C6 5:77:4F=E 7@C @C82?:D>D E@ 3C62E96]Qk^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ (C:89E D2:5 E92E E96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 H2JD E@ AC6G6?E 5:D2DE6C[ 2D H6== 2D >2?J D4:6?E:DED H@C<:?8 @? H2JD E@ AC6D6CG6 3:@5:G6CD:EJ] w6 D2:5 7F?5:?8 E96 D4:6?46D :D 4C:E:42= E@ E96:C 4@==23@C2E:@? 2?5 DF446DD]k^Am
kAm%96 A2=6@?E@=@8:DEVD H@C< @? 4C:?@:5D—>2C:?6 2?:>2=D C6=2E65 E@ DE2C7:D9 2?5 D62 FC49:?D—D6CG6D 2D 2 42D6 DEF5J :? 3@E9 6IE:?4E:@? 2?5 C64@G6CJ] (C:89E D2:5 9:D 76==@HD9:A H:== 4C62E6 Q2? 6G@=FE:@?2CJ E:>6=:?6 2?5 E:>6D42=6 @7 E96 6G@=FE:@? @7 rC:?@:5D[Q 6I2>:?:?8 9@H >@56C? DA64:6D C6=2E6 E@ E96:C 2?4:6?E AC65646DD@CD 2?5 H92E E9:D C6G62=D 23@FE DFCG:G2= 2?5 252AE2E:@? :? E96 286 @7 2 492?8:?8 4=:>2E6]k^Am
kAm%96 7FEFC6 C6>2:?D F?HC:EE6?[ 96 D2:5] “xE :D FA E@ FD]”k^Am