CAREER: A Late Triassic Origin for Modern Marine Predator-prey Dynamics

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Predation is an important driver of ecological structure in modern shallow marine ecosystems, but the development of modern predator-prey dynamics in past oceans are poorly understood. Many of the most important modern marine predators and their prey animals appeared during the Late Triassic, about 228 ? 202 million years ago. This research will examine the role of predator-prey interactions in building modern-style ecological systems during this time of dramatic environmental change. Student mentorship groups comprised of undergraduates and students from nearby tribal high schools will develop research projects to solve environmental problems using the skills learned as part of the present study. The goal of the present research is to quantify the antagonistic relationships between predator and prey taxa from three distinct marine regions during the Late Triassic. Series of fossiliferous bulk samples will be collected from regions in Nevada, Italy, and New Zealand to determine geographic patterns of predator occurrence and abundance, coupled with abundance and morphological pattern data for prey groups. In order to create a temporally- and spatially-resolved faunal dataset reflecting shifting ecological relationships, the three fossiliferous bulk sample sequences will be correlated to each other and to recognized geologic events using multiple chronostratigraphic methods. Paleoecological niche modeling will be used to test the concept of escalation in this predator-prey system, thus allowing for an evaluation of the role of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors in ecological function and health. Results will be made available through public databases, publications, and presentations at conferences by student researchers.