DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Inferring ecology in fossil terrestrial ecosystems

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How birds evolved their staggering ecological diversity, from vampire finches that drink blood to storm petrels that eat plankton, remains an unanswered question. Bird skeletons are infrequently preserved in the fossil record; when they are, it remains difficult to infer the habits of extinct species in ancient ecosystems. In this doctoral dissertation project, investigators will infer the diet and habitat preferences of extinct birds by comparing the morphology of their wings, legs, and beaks to that of modern birds. These inferences will be further tested in selected species by comparing the predictions made from morphology with the preserved gut contents of fossil specimens. The most diverse fossil bird assemblages are found in 125 million-year-old deposits in China and 50 million-year-old deposits in North America and Germany. By comparing the suite of ecological traits seen in birds from each of these ancient deposits with the suite seen in these localities today and in the recent past, (1 million years ago), the researchers will develop a more complete understanding of how environmental change has contributed to global bird diversity through the processes of diversification and extinction. Biodiversity is threatened by increasing rates of species' extinctions. Results from this study will link past environmental change with extinction, contributing valuable historical information to improve predictions of future extinction rates. Fossils are also one of the best ways to get students and the public interested in science. The investigators participate in several educational programs at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, leading 'behind the scenes' tours of fossil collections and developing professional training programs in geology and earth history for elementary school teachers. Undergraduate and high school students will participate in this project with data collection and analysis.