Felix Pym

About me:

My research focuses on the timing and ecological consequences of the late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions in South and Central America. I use spores of coprophilous fungi (SCF), including Sporormiella-type, to reconstruct Late Pleistocene and Holocene megafaunal abundance. I adopt multiproxy microfossil investigations using pollen, charcoal and micronutrients to understand the ecological consequences of extinction in the ecosystems they inhabited. These integrated datasets can provide valuable information on the timing and ecological consequences of megafaunal extinctions in the underresearched Neotropical biodiversity hotspots. My previous work includes determining the timing of extinction within the high Andean forests of Colombia.

Global environmental change is driving biodiversity loss and threatening contemporary fauna with extinction. My research is therefore crucial to estimate the potential repercussions of extinctions and inform management and conservation efforts. I am also passionate about extant megafauna and have used my research to create educational resources for conservation projects including Mountain Tapir Forever. 

Broad Research Specialisms

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

Interests:

• Palynology: Spores of coprophilous fungi (SCF), pollen, charcoal, multi-elements 
• Megafauna (extinct and extant) 
• Ecosystem functioning
• Extinction events
• Tropical palaeoecology
• Fire activity
• Anthropogenic impacts
• Rewilding