PI will study the timing, magnitude and selectivity of extinction and origination events associated with a major turnover episode in Caribbean reef coral fauna. Project will entail: 1) making extensive collections in late Miocene to Pleistocene sections, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Curacao; 2) dating the sections using microfossils, paleomagnetics and Sr isotopes; 3) identifying specimens by morphometrics. Differential taxonomic and ecologic components will be compared to evaulate differential susceptibility to extinction and identify possible causes. Results will have important implications for extinction studies and for conservation strategies for modern tropical reef biotas.
