| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | May 24, 2023 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | May 24, 2023 |
| Award Number: | 2305234 |
| Award Instrument: | Fellowship Award |
| Program Manager: |
Aisha Morris
armorris@nsf.gov (703)292-7081 EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2023 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2025 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $180,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $180,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
Atlanta GA US 30332 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Oxford,UK UK OX1 3-AN |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
Postdoctoral Fellowships, Sedimentary Geo & Paleobiology |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
The range of a species, or where the species lives in geographic space, can provide information about its role within an ecosystem and across landscapes. Species ranges are influenced by many factors, including changes in climate, shifts in ecosystems and communities, and anthropogenic influences. However, the dynamics of species ranges on geological timescales (for example, across millions of years) has not yet been fully understood. Furthermore, the study of species ranges through time is complicated by the influence of past tectonic shifts and climate change on species ranges. This project, conducted at the University of Oxford and advised by Dr. Erin Saupe, explores long-term changes in species range sizes across many different geographic extents, and types of species. It aims to quantify how species ranges fluctuate over multiple time scales, evaluate how tectonics and climate influence these fluctuations, and examine how the dynamics might be driven by relatedness and heritability between species. This project will provide new avenues of inquiry into the maintenance of biodiversity through time and will help to forge another link between the history of Earth and the history of life. During this project, the researchers will contribute to several programs aimed at increasing diversity in academia and introducing students to entire process of scientific research in geology and paleobiology. These programs include the Nuffield Research Placement Program, a month-long program where the students develop and answer their own research questions, and the UNIQ program, which sponsors high-school students from diverse and underserved communities to take short-courses in fields that interest them. Through these initiatives, the project aims to foster discussion on the vital importance of earth science in our changing world and to inspire a new cohort of dedicated earth scientists.
As we enter the Anthropocene, unprecedented climatic and landscape changes are leading to global extinctions and the reorganization of many species? ranges (Barnosky et al. 2011). Understanding how species ranges have changed through geological time can offer insight into these current and projected future changes. Furthermore, categorizing the dynamics of species range shifts from origination to extinction can increase the ability of conservation organizations and governments to identify and protect species that may be at risk of range loss and extinction. However, the study of species ranges through time is complicated by the extrinsic effects of spatial, taxonomic, and temporal scale (Kemp et al. 2015). Using new methods in paleo-topographic reconstruction paired with advances in paleontological databases and novel evolutionary hypotheses, this research extricates these confounding effects and evaluates multiple facets of range dynamics in the fossil record. The project has three aims: 1) to quantify how species? geographic ranges fluctuate over multiple temporal scales, 2) to examine the contribution of tectonic, geographic, and climatic factors in structuring range dynamics, and 3) to evaluate the heritability of these range size dynamics and the influence of taxonomic scale on range size fluctuations. The project will use geo-referenced Paleobiology databases, including Triton, PBDB, Neotoma, and NOW to characterize species range size through time and to determine whether the trajectories of range size across a species? evolutionary history is consistent across taxa and temporal scale. Next, fluctuations in range size will be correlated to periods of climate and tectonic changes, using temporal autoregressive models and stochastic differential equations. Finally, applying phylogenic data from published sources such as Phylacine, the influence of relatedness and heritability on range size trajectories will be evaluated.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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