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 Felix Pym

Felix Pym

Masters by Research Student

 Laver Building 

 

Laver Building, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter, EX4 4QE, UK

Overview

My research focuses on the timing and ecological consequences of the late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions within the high Andean forests of Colombia. I use spores of coprophilous fungi (SCF), including Sporormiella-type, to reconstruct Late Pleistocene and Holocene megafaunal abundance. Megafauna are ecological keystone species, thus, I adopt multiproxy investigations using microfossil pollen and charcoal records to understand the potential consequences of extinction in the ecosystems they inhabited. Together, these integrated datasets can provide valuable information on the timing and ecological consequences of megafaunal extinctions in the underesearched tropics of South America. 

Today, global environmental change is driving biodiversity loss and threatening contemporary fauna with extinction. This research is therefore crucial to estimate the potential repercussions of extinctions and inform management and conservation efforts.

Broad Research Specialisms

Palynology; Palaeoecology; Spores of coprophilous fungi (SCF); Megafaunal extinctions; Sporormiella; Microfossils.

Qualifications

Master of Science by Research, Unversity of Exeter: 2023

BSc Geography, University of Exeter, First Class Honours: 2020

Career

2022-Present Laboratory technician in Physical Geography, University of Exeter, UK.

2020-Present Palaeoecological Research Technician, University of Exeter, UK.
 

Links

Research group links

Research

Research interests

Using spores of coprophilous fungi (SCF), pollen and charcoal records to understand the timing and ecological consequences of megafaunal extinctions in tropical South America across the Late-Quaternary. 

Research grants

  • 2023 PalAss
    Postgraduate Travel Fund for the support of participation at the International Union for Quaternary Research congress 2023.
  • 2022 NERC CDT
    NERC funded ECORISC Summer Scholarship Training Scheme.

Links


Publications

Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year

Key publications


Pym FC, Franco-Gaviria F, Garcia Espinoza I, Urrego D (2023). The timing and ecological consequences of Pleistocene megafaunal decline in the eastern Andes of Colombia. Quaternary Research, 1-17. Abstract.

Publications by category


Journal articles

Pym FC, Franco-Gaviria F, Garcia Espinoza I, Urrego D (2023). The timing and ecological consequences of Pleistocene megafaunal decline in the eastern Andes of Colombia. Quaternary Research, 1-17. Abstract.

Publications by year


2023

Pym FC, Franco-Gaviria F, Garcia Espinoza I, Urrego D (2023). The timing and ecological consequences of Pleistocene megafaunal decline in the eastern Andes of Colombia. Quaternary Research, 1-17. Abstract.

Felix_Pym Details from cache as at 2023-06-10 08:22:44

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