Veronica Piazza

Tasks

• Research assistant
• PhD student in PD Dr. Martin Aberhan's research group
   

Research

Response of Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian-Toarcian) benthic marine faunas from south-western Europe to temperature-related stresses

Global warming and temperature-related stresses (TRS), in particular deoxygenation and acidification, play an important role in the degradation and transformation of marine ecosystems. My project focuses on their effect on the body size of brachiopods and molluscs and on the ecological and taxonomical structure of benthic communities across the early Toarcian (early Jurassic, ca. 183 M.y.a.) warming/extinction event. In particular, the main goals are to identify and understand the relative role of each TRS and investigate whether body size can be considered an indicator of the crisis at community level. Finally, it will be tested whether the pattern of recovery from TRS is different from the pattern of degradation. The studied material is collected in selected geological sections of south-western Europe (Spain and Portugal).

The project is part of the DFG Research Unit:
FOR 2332: Temperature − related stresses as a unifying principle in ancient extinctions (TERSANE)

It is also related to the UNESCO and IUGS project:
IGCP 655 - TOAE: Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event: Impact on marine carbon cycle and ecosystems