General Research Statement

The goal of our research group is very broad and includes paleobiology, paleoecology, evolutionary paleoecology, phylogenetics, taxonomy, and biostratigraphy of Paleozoic organisms and the dynamics of Paleozoic epicontinental seas. As indicated on my by the list of publications on the Ausich curriculum vitae and below, Ausich’s primary focus is on the class Crinoidea (phylum Echinodermata). The full diversity of our research scope is illustrated by graduate student and undergraduate research elsewhere on this website, and examples of recent and current published research are given below (students are indicated with an asterisk) [updated 06-01-09].

1. Mississippian crinoids

Ausich, W.I., and T.W. Kammer. 2009 (in press). Generic concepts in the Platycrinitidae Austin and Austin (Class Crinoidea). Journal of Paleontology.

Ausich, W.I., and T.W. Kammer. 2009 (in press). Assembly of the Mississippian crinoid fauna: Invasion, endemic origination, and extinctoin. [abstract]. North American Paleontological Convention.

Ausich, W.I., and T.W. Kammer. 2008. Specimens to macroevolution to specimens again: deciphering macroevolutionary trends. Geological Society of America Abstract with Programs 40(6):541.

Rhenberg*, E.C., D.J. Simon*, L.A. Cook*, M.K. Gill*, W.I. Ausich, and T.W. Kammer. 2008. Comparison of Early Mississippian crinoid generic diversity patterns between the Lake Valley Formation of New Mexico and the Burlington Limestone of Iowa [abstract]. Geological Society of America Abstract with Programs 40(6):141.

Ausich, W.I., and T.W. Kammer. 2008. Generic concepts in the Amphoracrinidae Bather, 1899 (Class Crinoidea) and evaluation of generic assignments of North American species. Journal of Paleontology, 82:1130-1149.

Ausich, W.I. and T.W. Kammer. 2008. Evolution and extinction of a Paleozoic crinoid clade: phylogenetics, paleogeography, and environmental distribution of periechocrinids, p. 144-171. In W.I. Ausich and G.D. Webster. (eds.) Echinoderm Paleobiology.

Hollis*, K.A., and W.I. Ausich. 2008. The holdfast of Gilbertsocrinus (Mississippian, Crinoidea). Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 45:135-140.

Kammer, T.W., and W.I. Ausich. 2007. Stratigraphical and geographical distribution of Mississippian Crinoidea from Scotland. Earth and Environmental Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 98:139-150.

Kammer, T.W., and W.I. Ausich. 2007. New cladid and flexible crinoids from the Mississippian (Tournaisian) of England and Wales. Palaeontology, 50(5):1039-1050.

Ausich, W.I., and T.W. Kammer. 2006. Stratigraphic and Geographic Distribution of Lower Carboniferous Crinoidea from England and Wales. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 56(2):91-109.

Kammer, T.W., and W.I. Ausich. 2006. The “Age of Crinoids”: a Mississippian biodiversity spike coincident with widespread carbonate ramps. Palaios, 21:236-248.

Kammer, T.W., and W.I. Ausich. 2006. Preliminary analysis of generic longevity patterns in Mississippian crinoids from Europe and North America [abstract]. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 38(7):553.

2. Anticosti Island: Ordovician-Silurian crinoids, Regional Encrinites, and Other Projects

Ausich, W.I., and P. Copper, P. (in press). The Crinoidea of Anticosti Island, Québec (Late Ordovician to Early Silurian). Palaeontographica Canadiana.

Ausich, W.I., L. Tapanila, J. Jin., and P. Copper. 2008. The Anticosti Project: biosphere collapse and recovery during a global glacial epoch. Geological Society of America Abstract with Programs 40(6):97.

Desrochers, A., N.P. James, W.I. Ausich, and S. Kershaw. 2008. A complex but repetitive record of glacio-eustatic cyclicity in Lower Silurian tropical carbonate ramp deposits, Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada [abstract]. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 40(5):21.

Richardson*, J.G., and W.I. Ausich. 2007. Late Ordovician-Early Silurian crypotospore occurrences on Anticosti Island (Île d’Anticosti), Quebec, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 44:1-7.

Borths*, M.R., and W.I. Ausich. 2007. Crinoids in Lilliput: Morphological change in the class Crinoidea across the Ordovician-Silurian boundary. [abstract]. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 39(6): 325.

Ausich, W.I. 2007. Is it time to quit? [abstract]. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 39(6):609.

3. Silurian Crinoids and Macroevolution of Ordovician and Silurian Crinoids

Boyarko*, D., and W.I. Ausich. 2009. New calceocrinids from the Brassfield Formation of northern Kentucky and southern Ohio. Southeastern Geology, 46:103-108.

Peters, S.E., and W.I. Ausich. 2008. A sampling-adjusted macroevolutionary history for Ordovician-Silurian crinoids. Paleobiology, 34(1):104-116.

Ausich, W.I., and S.E. Peters. 2005. A revised macroevolutionary history for Ordovician-Silurian crinoids. Paleobiology, 31:542-555.

4. Biomarkers in Paleozoic Echinoderms

O’Malley*, C.A., W.I. Ausich, and Y.-P. Chin. (in press) 2009. PARAFAC to isolate components of Paleozoic crinoid biomarkers [abstract]. North American Paleontological Convention.

O’Malley*, C.E., W.I. Ausich, and Y.-P. Chin. 2008. Crinoid biomarkers (Borden Group, Mississippian): Implications for phylogeny, p.290-306. In W.I. Ausich, and G.D. Webster (eds.) Echinoderm Paleobiology, Indiana University Press, Bloomington.

O’Malley*, C.A., W.I. Ausich, and Y.-P. Chin. 2008. Biomarkers in Paleozoic Echinoderms. Geological Society of America Abstract with Programs 40(6):393.

O’Malley*, C.R., W.I. Ausich, and Y.-P. Chin. 2007. Identity of biomarkers from Mississippian (Paleozoic) crinoids [abstract]. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 39(6):22.

O’Malley*, C.E., W.I. Ausich, and Y.-P. Chin. 2006. Biomarkers in colored crinoids: Implications for phylogeny [abstract]. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 38(7):482.

5. Ordovician Crinoids from Peri-Gondwana and the Early Evolution of the Crinoidea

Ausich, W.I., J.C. Gutiérrez-Marco, and A.A. Sá. 2007. New and Revised occurrences of Ordovician crinoids from southwestern Europe. Journal of Paleontology, 81(6):1374-1383.

Ausich, W.I., and D. Gil Cid, and P. Domínquez Alonso. 2002. Ordovician [Dobrotivian (Llandeillian Stage) to Ashgill] Crinoids (Phylum Echinodermata) from the Montes de Toledo and Sierra Morena, Spain with implications for paleogeography of peri-Gondwana. Journal of Paleontology, 76:975-992.

6. Cambrian Echinoderms and Taphonomy

Lin*, J.-P., W.I. Ausich, Y.-L. Zhao, and J. Peng. 2008. Taphonomy, Colouration, and Paleoecologic, Implications of Cambrian gogiid echinoderms from Guizhou Province, South China. Geological Magazine, 145(1):17-36.

Lin*, J.-P., W.I. Ausich, and Y.-L. Zhao. 2008. Settling strategies of eocrinoids from the Kaili Biota (middle Cambrian) Guizhou Province, South China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoecology, Palaeoclimatology, 258:213-221.

Lin*, J.-P., A.C. Scott, C.-W. Li, H.-J. Wu, W.I. Ausich, Y.-L Zhao, and Y.K. Hwu. 2006. Silicified egg clusters from a Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale-type Deposit, Guizhou, South China. Geology, 34(12):1037-1040..

7. Revised Crinoid Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology

Ausich is the coordinating author of the Revised Crinoid Treatise. A plan is prepared, and authors are writing. The post-Paleozoic crinoid section is in the final stages of writing and editing, and various introductory chapters are being written. Note that as sections become available, they will be published on line by the University of Kansas Paleontological Institute.

8. Silurian Biostratigraphy and Paleoceanography

Schmidt*, D.A., and W.I. Ausich, W.I. 2008. A shallowing-upward succession of peritidal microbial carbonates in the Tymochtee Dolomite (Silurian-Ludlow) [abstract]. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 40(5):14.

Young*, S.A., M.R. Saltzman, W.I.Ausich, and D. Kaljo. 2007. A global change in ?13C of organic matter during the Late Ordovician (Hirnantian): Implications for atmospheric CO2 levels and glaciation [abstract]. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 39(6):84-85.

Bancroft, A.M., M.A. Kleffner, and F.R. Brunton. 2009. Silurian conodont biostratigraphy and carbonate carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Eramosa southwestern Ontario, Canada. [abstract]. North American Paleontological Convention.