The PI has developed a broad database dealing with Silurian and Devonian problems, including brachiopod and gastropod taxonomy, morphology, biogeography, community paleoecology, correlation, geologic history, lithofacies, and paleoclimatic indicators. This database material provides material for syntheses useful for geologic and biologic purposes, and for some novel conclusions about geologic and biologic-evolutionary processes. Biogeographic syntheses are useful in checking global paleogeographies; community paleoecologic syntheses are useful in basin analysis (industrial and scholarly) and improved stratigraphic correlations involving biogeographic control; and studies in evolution are useful for all. Work on the evolutionary implications of both major and minor biostratigraphic breaks will provide a better understanding of community evolution, biographic history, adaptive radiations and biotic crises, and behavioral relations.
