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SUMMARY:Evolution and effects of ecosystem engineers through the Phanerozo
 ic  - Alison Cribb\, University of Southampton
DTSTART:20250225T120000Z
DTEND:20250225T130000Z
UID:TALK225826@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Rachael Rhodes
DESCRIPTION:Ecosystem engineers are organisms whose behaviours change the 
 physical characteristics of their habitats and modulate resource availabil
 ity\, thereby impacting the habitability of their environments for other b
 iota. Given their profound impacts on ecological and evolutionary processe
 s in the modern\, palaeobiologists have long hypothesized that the rise of
  ecosystem engineers throughout Earth history has had increasingly positiv
 e impacts on the biosphere\, contributing to the rise in marine biodiversi
 ty observed over the Phanerozoic. Here\, I will highlight the role that an
 imal ecosystem engineers have played in shaping ecological and environment
 al landscapes since the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. Focusing on bioturb
 ation\, I will present how ecologically-informed biogeochemical modelling 
 is used to show how evolutionary innovations and the environment work toge
 ther to modulate an ecosystem engineer’s effects. Broadening timescales 
 and ecological groups\, I will also present new evidence using ecological 
 meta-analyses that demonstrates that marine ecosystem engineers have had p
 ersistent strong positive effects on biodiversity over the entire Phaneroz
 oic. Finally\, I will propose a new framework for “Earth systems enginee
 rs” (ESE) – ecosystem engineer-type organisms whose activities play ma
 jor roles in global resource cycles – and highlight major ESE innovation
 s\, transitions\, and effects. 
LOCATION:Department of Earth Sciences\, Tilley Lecture Theatre
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