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. My previous work includes determining the timing and ecological consequences of megafaunal declines within Colombia and Panama.

Anthropogenic pressures and environmental change are driving biodiversity loss and threatening living fauna with extinction. My research is therefore crucial to estimate the potential repercussions of future extinctions, support conservation efforts and provide a historic baseline for forward-thinking rewilding efforts aimed at restoring the ecological functions lost from historic megafaunal declines. To achieve these ambitions, I have used my research to create educational resources for extant megafauna conservation projects, including Mountain Tapir Forever, and am passionate about exploring the use of palaeoecology to guide trophic rewilding efforts.

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