Brief outline of the project
Deciphering the complex interactions between climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem structuration is a major societal issue for future generations. The geological record offers the unique opportunity to document the impact of environmental changes in the biosphere in the past, and thus to provide some clues for the future. In this context, the Early Palaeozoic is probably one of the most critical intervals to document such interactions between biotas and the Earth system. This interval embraces major evolutionary events such as the Cambrian Explosion and the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, but also major shifts in climate with a dramatic impact on the biosphere. Recently, the development of large-scale collaborative palaeontological databases promoted high-resolution analyses of biodiversity patterns, which could be compared with different environmental proxies. However, most available data are so far strongly biased towards some geographic areas (Europe, North America) and time intervals (lower-middle Cambrian, Middle-Upper Ordovician).
Through a multidisciplinary approach, and in close collaboration with the International Sub-commission on Ordovician Stratigraphy, the project aims at filling the numerous knowledge gaps in most regions of the world (e.g. Africa, Asia and South America), with a special focus on less-documented time intervals (e.g. late Cambrian to Early Ordovician).
Related information
- duration: 2021 - 2026
- Global change theme
Contact
- Bertrand Lefebvre (France)
- email : bertrand.lefebvre@univ-lyon1.fr
Project Updates
In 2002, the main event for IGCP 735 will be its annual meeting in Marrakesh (Morocco). The project plans to organize two days of scientific sessions at Cadi Ayyad University (Marrakesh), and a four days field excursion in the Anti-Atlas including one full day of workshop in Zagora, so as to exchange about the projects of the Bani Geopark with local populations, associations, and political representatives. A first step will the building of a local museum in Zagora, so as to promote regional archaeological, geological and palaeontological heritage in the Draa Valley.
Please visit the meeting website for more information.
IGCP 735 will also participate to the 19th International Symposium on Ostracoda (Lyon, France) through the organization of a session on Palaeozoic ostracods, and also to the 6th International Palaeontological Congress (Khon Kaen, Thailand), with the organization of two sessions entitled "Recent advances on metazoan diversifications from Early Palaeozoic Lagerstätten" (seesion 27) and "Freedom to Breath: integrating the evolution of animals and their environments during the early Palaeozoic" (session 28).
Date and venue of meeting(s):
- 18-22 July 2022, Lyon (France): 19th International Symposium on Ostracoda (ISO19)
- 19-24 October 2022, Marrakesh (Morocco): 2nd annual meeting of IGCP 735
- 7-12 November 2022, Khon Kaen (Thaliand): 6th International Palaeontological Congress (IPC6)