When the South Pole turned green: reconstructing high-latitude vegetation change in the Permian of Gondwana
Cynthia Looy, Professor
Integrative Biology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2025.
In many ways, the Earth of the Permian period (298.9-251.9 million years ago) would have looked alien to a modern observer: the Earth’s surface was divided between the supercontinent Pangea and the superocean Panthalassa, strange animals neither mammal nor dinosaur dominated terrestrial faunas, and no flower would bloom for more than another one hundred million years. Yet the Permian bears one unnerving similarity to our modern world: it was a time of planetary-scale deglaciation, when elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO2 ultimately caused the demise of all polar ice on Earth. This major transition in the Earth system had global-scale biotic impacts, including the expansion of forests into what is today the Antarctic circle!
What types of plants lived in these communities? When did they arrive at south polar latitudes? How did they flourish once they got there? We seek to answer these questions by studying the rich records of fossil pollen and spores left behind by prehistoric plants in sedimentary basins across Australia. Petroleum companies have documented these fossils for over 60 years as a means of determining the age of particular rock units, and those reports are now in the public record. Historical drilling reports therefore provide a unique window into the evolution and ecology of these ancient south polar ecosystems.
Role: We are looking for a student to assist in the transcription and analysis of geologic and fossil data from the drilling reports. The student will focus their efforts on boreholes in the Carnarvon Basin of Western Australia, and ultimately use the data they log to quantitatively reconstruct plant life in that basin during and after the collapse of the ice age.
Weekly tasks will include:
(1) Reading drilling reports
(2) Transcribing geologic and fossil data from reports into an SQLite database
(3) Curation of data in the SQLite database
(4) Analysis of fossil data in the paleontological computer model CONOP9
Benefits: In their work, the student will gain practical experience with database curation and statistical computing. The student will also explore major concepts in geology, biostratigraphy, and paleoecology.
Qualifications: We are looking for a student who can devote 6 hours a week to this project. Attention to detail is a must while reading drilling reports and transcribing fossil data. A background in basic geology may be useful but is not required. Likewise, prior experience with R, SQLite, and CONOP9 is not required.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Riley Hayes, Graduate Student
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: Given current pandemic conditions, the student will be able to remotely accomplish all required work on a personal computer. Lab space can be made available if the student would prefer to work on-campus.
Related website: http://www.looylab.org/projects.html#Projects_PPDB
Related website: http://www.looylab.org/projects.html#Projects_PPDB