Patterns of Species Diversity As Paleoenvironmental Indicators: A New Approach Grant uri icon

abstract

  • Bathymetric and latitudinal patterns of benthic foraminiferal diversity are proven to be valuable paleoenvironmental indicators. Most patterns have been recognized using individual samples distributed along a traverse. Natural inherent variability of individual samples may cause misinterpretation when analyses are on a sample-by-sample basis. A new technique, based on information theory and the entropy of statistical distributions, accumulates samples so that all the data are utilized more efficiently. The technique is called SHE analysis, an acronym for S, species richness, H, information function, E, evenness, and has two important components for paleoecological studies: SHEBI and SHECSI. Using known properties of statistical distributions, biofacies identification can be easily achieved (by SHEBI). Once biofacies are established, the within-biofacies community structure identification can be revealed (by SHECSI). Preliminary research using SHE analysis (described herein) indicates that community structure changes with depth and latitude. We propose to examine bathymetric ally-related biofacies and community structure in the northern Gulf of Mexico and latitudinally-related biofacies (provinces) on the North American Atlantic continental shelf by SHEBI and SHECSI. We expect the results of this completely new approach to increase dramatically our understanding of species diversity and provide a new method for paleoenvironmental analysis of Neogene and, perhaps, older strata. The research will involve both undergraduate and graduate students and will include them in the research process from project design through to publication of results.

date/time interval

  • September 2004 - August 2007