Research projects

Dr. Pauline Guenser

The role of heterochrony in response to deep climate change through Permian-Triassic crises

Leadership/contacts

Duration

May 2026 to April 2030

Funding sources

SNF, Personen- und Projektförderung, SNF Ambizione

Summary

The consequences of climate change on biodiversity are in the centre of current research, as this environmental crisis could lead to the largest mass extinction ever recorded on Earth. It is therefore important to understand how organisms can survive such a disturbance, particularly in the face of global warming. Studies of current species show that animals are sensitive to temperature variations. Some even show accelerated growth in response to rising temperatures. However, we do not know whether this observation is a long-term adaptation to climate change. To find out, we use the fossil record, which offer a broad temporal window on how organisms adapt to environmental disturbances.
The main objective of this research project is to assess whether an animal has evolved by accelerating its growth (heterochrony) as an adaptative response to a sudden increase in temperature, in other words, whether its descendants (living in a warmer environment) grew faster than their ancestors (who lived in a colder environment). To do this, we use conodonts, small extinct marine vertebrates which survived the largest mass extinction known to date, the Permian/Triassic crisis (-250 million years ago), associated with a temperature increase of about 8°C, which led to the disappearance of more than 80% of the marine biosphere. This crisis is analogous to the current global warming, and conodonts are an ideal model for studying the adaptability of organisms to sharp increase in temperatures.
Our project will provide valuable information on how organisms adapt in times of crisis and should lead to a better understanding of the future of biodiversity on Earth in the face of current climate change.
data.snf.ch/grants/grant/233157