PAOC + Lorenz Center – Special Seminar with Sergei Petrovskii (Leicester)

“Modelling Phanerozoic Mass Extinctions”

Species become extinct all the time with a certain background extinction rate; this is a normal part of macroevolution. However, several times through the 550 Ma of the recorded history of life on Earth (Phanerozoic era), the extinction rates exceeded the average background rate by more than an order of magnitude, resulting in 50-90% loss in the global biodiversity. How a factor or process that may result in extinction of some particular species at a particular location may be upscaled to lead to extinction on a global, massive scale through a broad variety of taxa and environments remains largely unclear. Process-based modeling approaches can be illuminating in revealing tendencies and identifying the most important processes that shape the phenomenon. In my talk, I will provide a brief overview of the recent progress in modelling and understanding mass extinctions.

About our speaker:
Applied mathematician and theoretical biologist Sergei Petrovskii serves as Chair in Applied Mathematics at the University of Leicester and specializes in mathematical ecology and ecological modelling. His research spans across a broad variety of problems in ecology and population dynamics with a particular emphasis on modelling complex multiscale environmental and ecological systems.

Hosted by the PAOC Colloquium Committee and the Lorenz Center.

Questions? Contact Perrin Davidson