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Samantha Gibbs:
Pliocene to Early Pleistocene evolution of nannofossil assemblages in response to palaeoceanographic changes
(Poster)

This study will consist of a comparative investigation of the nannofossil and planktonic foraminifera populations within the Upper Neogene (Lower-Upper Pliocene, NN15/16) to Lower Pleistocene (NN19) to test the hypothesis that abundance fluctuations and changes in population composition are a reflection of environmental change. The interval covers an important time in ocean history, and identification of known oceanographic events in the nannofossil population would be important in understanding the role of environmental change in nannofossil evolution and population history. Changes in nannofossil populations occur throughout this time, with some of those changes being concentrated in distinct and rapid turnovers. The project aims to compare two turnovers/bioevents within the nannoflora with each other and with the associated planktonic foraminifera record. This research will hopefully contribute to our understanding of evolutionary biodiversity and ecology by addressing the specific questions, how and why do planktonic species evolve?, are nannoplankton extinction events rapid and globally synchronous and why?, what controls phytoplankton diversity?, and what is the interrelationship between biotic processes and environmental change? The study will focus on (1) the sequence and degree of synchroneity in nannofossil biotic events, especially extinctions; (2) evidence for associated changes in other components of the nannoflora, including morphometric investigations; and (3) correlated changes in other plankton, based on comparison of detailed work previously carried out on planktonic foraminifera with the results of this study.

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 [Division of Micropalaeontology] [Department of Geosciences] [Bremen University]

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