Insect response to environmental perturbation during the end Triassic mass extinction
Dr Richard S. Kelly successfully defended his thesis in 2019 after 4 years as a PhD student at the University of Bristol and co-supervised by National Museums Scotland.
Last updated: 3 February 2022
About the research
The end Triassic mass extinction (eTme) was a time of extreme biotic turnover related to high levels of perturbation to the Earth system caused by massive volcanic eruptions of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province. All major groups of marine and terrestrial plants and animals were affected with estimates of more than 50% loss of genera. Previous studies of insect occurrence however have found little evidence of a major insect extinction. The main aim of this project was to document insect survival across the end Triassic mass extinction to better understand its effects on insects.
Relevantly aged entomofaunas exist from several regions globally. The UK has arguably the most useful collection for understanding the eTme with several thousand specimens distributed through relatively well understood stratigraphy around the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. For the purpose of this study and for the benefit of future researchers, this material was stratigraphically and taxonomically revised to current standards before being analysed for changes across the eTme.
Lead image: Richard Kelly undertaking fieldwork.
- Project title
Insect response to environmental perturbation during the end Triassic mass extinction
- Student
Dr Richard S. Kelly
- Project active
2015 - 2019
- Funder
- University Supervisors
Prof Mike Benton - School of Earth Sciences
- National Museums Scotland Supervisor
- Research theme
Sustainability
Project contact
Contact list of staff members
Dr Andrew Ross
Natural Sciences news and stories
- Discover
Meet ‘Lizzie’, a 345 million year old fossil
In the 1980s, a very important fossil was discovered in Scotland. Named Westlothiana, the fossil got its nickname 'Lizzie' because it looked so lizard-like. But don't let the name fool you. It was thought to be the oldest known reptile,… - Discover
The folky tale of the mineral tacharanite
This mineral got its name from how it behaves when exposed to air, but with a Scottish folkloric twist!Tacharanite occurs in nature as bundles and little spheres of silky white fibres in altered basalt rocks. It's found in several… - Discover
The surprising story of the mineral ramsayite
When is ramsayite not ramsayite? Find out below in a story of clans, Swedish nobility, Finnish land and titles, and a shocking twist!Ramsayite was first described in 1923. It was noted as pale purple to brown, or pale pink to mauve, or…