Investigating the effect of redox-sensitive metal cycling during Late Ordovician biogeochemical events,based on palynomorph and geochemical data.

The objective of this project is to test the hypothesis that global Oceanic Anoxic Events were the cause of extinction during the Ordovician. The onset of latter events coincide with δ13Ccarb pertubations, enrichments in redox sensitive metals and peak abundances of malformed microfossils. I’m testing whether this emerging pattern is reproducible for the world’s best characterized and preserved key sections.

Keywords:Ocean Anoxic Events, (mass)extinction, palynology, redox, Ordovician, ocean chemistry

Disciplines:Biogeochemistry, Stratigraphy, Geology not elsewhere classified, Molecular evolution