Collaborative Research: Mesozoic Tethyan paleocommunity dynamics: Modelling complexity and stablity during times of biotic escalation and community restructuring

合作研究：中生代特提斯古群落动力学：生物升级和群落重构时期的复杂性和稳定性建模中生代开始于2.51亿年前地球最大的物种大灭绝之后，结束于6600万年前的另一次物种大灭绝。目前的项目集中在古代海洋的生态系统上，该生态系统在中生代覆盖了西欧的大部分地区，并留下了丰富的、有充分记录的化石记录。现代海洋的基础是在这一时期随着生态系统的日益复杂而奠定的。然而，人们对生态系统的复杂性和稳定性之间的关系知之甚少。该项目将通过利用食物网模拟中生代海洋生态系统的复杂动态来研究这种关系，食物网捕获了生物群落中物种之间的相互作用和能量转移。食物网对环境干扰的反应提供了生态系统恢复力的信息。分析古代食物网将通过一套数学和计算模型来完成。生态系统对生物复杂性变化和环境干扰的响应仍然知之甚少。人为驱动的全球生物变化目前正在导致生物多样性的灾难性损失。为了预测生态系统的反应并有效地管理资源，我们必须了解生态系统如何应对极端变化；然而，人类经验中没有先例可以指导我们。化石记录记录了极端的生态系统变化，该项目将提供过去的类似物，以便更好地预测现代海洋生态系统。这些信息将通过加州科学院的各种项目分发给公众、教育工作者和学生。

Collaborative Research: Mesozoic Tethyan paleocommunity dynamics: Modelling complexity and stablity during times of biotic escalation and community restructuringThe Mesozoic Era began in the aftermath of Earth's largest mass extinction 251 million years ago, ending 66 million years ago with another mass extinction. The current project focuses on ecosystems of an ancient ocean which covered much of western Europe during the Mesozoic and left behind a rich, well-documented fossil record. The groundwork for modern oceans was laid during this time with increasingly complex ecosystems. The relationship between the complexity and stability of ecosystems is, however, poorly understood. The project will examine that relationship by modeling the complex dynamics of Mesozoic marine ecosystems using food webs, which capture the interactions and energy transfer between species in biological communities. Food web reactions to environmental disturbances are informative of ecosystem resilience. Analyzing ancient food webs will be accomplished with a suite of mathematical and computational models. Ecosystem responses to changes in biological complexity and environmental disturbance remain poorly understood. Anthropogenically-driven global biological change is currently resulting in catastrophic losses of biodiversity. To anticipate ecosystem responses and effectively manage resources, we must understand how ecosystems respond to extreme changes; yet there are no precedents in human experience to guide us. The fossil record documents extreme ecosystem changes and this project will provide analogs from the past to enable better forecasts for modern marine ecosystems. This information will be distributed to the public, educators and students through a variety of programs at the California Academy of Sciences.