Staff details

Teaching interests

 

Current teaching responsibilities:

• I lecture on the following courses: EOE 1102 Earth History; EOE 2103 The Evolving Earth; ENV5203 Global Environmental Variability; GLY5102 Marine Micropalaeontology
  
• Module Leader for EOE 1102
  
• Stage 3 Tutor for Earth Sciences
  
• International Exchange Tutor for Earth Sciences

 

 

In the South Urals, Russia, 2004

 

Research interests

 

• Permian-Triassic extinction and recovery: The mass extinction event at the end of the Permian Period was the most severe  such event of the Phanerozoic. Understanding the causes and consequences of the end-Permian extinction event is crucial to understanding the evolution of the Earth's biosphere. I am particularly interested in the palaeoecology, palaeoenvironments, rock record bias, oceanography and climate changes of this important interval in Earth history. My field research has taken me to many beautiful and sometimes remote parts of our planet, including Italy, Oman, western USA, East Greenland, Japan, Australia, China, Russia and Spitsbergen.
  

• The Lilliput effect: this term describes the temporary appearance of small body size in animals in the aftermath of extinction events. This phenomenon is widespread, occurs after most biotic crises, but is relatively little studied. Assuming that the Lilliput effect is not the result of bias in the fossil record, then it must reflect a real biological response to changing environmental factors. The animals were perhaps responding to changes in oxygen concentrations, food supply, temperature and/or salinity.

• Biotic recovery after modern and ancient defaunation events: what are the similarities and differences in the response of the marine ecosystem to biotic crises at different scales? The diagram below shows my model of how the benthic marine ecosystem recovered after the end-Permian mass extinction event. In the immediate aftermath of the event only the very shallowest tiers were occupied; predominantly by deposit feeders (stage 1). The shallow infaunal suspension feeders returned next (2), followed by the higher epifaunal tiers (3). Eventually tiering levels above and below the sediment surface returned to pre-extinction levels (4). For more information see Twitchett (2006).
  
  
• Trace fossils and mass extinction events: Trace fossils are our only evidence of the responses of the soft-bodied benthos to environmental changes during ancient biotic crises. They can offer us insights into the dynamics of extinction and recovery that cannot be gained from study of body fossils alone. Examining the trace fossil records through the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic events has shown how the body size, vertical distribution, biodiversity and ecology of the benthic marine infauna was affected by these major events in Earth history.
  

• Taphonomy, preservation and the quality of the fossil record: Understanding the processes of taphonomy is crucial for understanding the potential biases of the fossil record. This is especially important during mass extinction events, where changes in the quality of the fossil record may affect our perceptions of the timing, duration and magnitude of extinction and recovery. For example, the Early Triassic is an interval of particularly poor quality fossil record, with a large number of Lazarus taxa; how has this affected our perceptions of the timing of the end-Permian extinction event and subsequent recovery?
  

 

 

 

Other research

Ongoing International Collaborative Projects

• Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction in Russia: This project involves a team of researchers from the University of Bristol, Saratov State University (Russia), British Geological Survey and University of Plymouth. In its present form the project has been running since 2004, but evolved from a Bristol-Saratov collaboration that began in the early-1990s. The aim of the project is to understand the nature of the faunal, facies, environmental and climatic changes recorded in the Permian-Triassic continental deposits of Russia, principally in the South Urals, associated with the largest mass extinction event of the Phanerozoic. I am a Co-PI on the project, which is led by Prof. Mike Benton (Bristol). Funding has been gratefully received from National Geographic, Royal Society, and NERC. Further details can be found on the project pages hosted by the University of Bristol, which can be accessed here. Recent highlights from the Plymouth research team include using magnetostratigraphy to better constrain the completeness of the Russian P-Tr sedimentary record.

 

• Biomarkers and the Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction Event: This project involves a team of researchers from Curtin University, Geoscience Australia, and Origin Energy (Australia), MIT (USA), Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Germany) and University of Plymouth. Biomarkers are the fossilised remains of biomolecules that can be extracted from well-preserved sedimentary rocks. They derive from a range of organisms including bacteria and other microorganisms that are not normally preserved in the fossil record, and biomarkers can provide unique insights into the biosphere, geosphere and environments of the past. I am a Co-PI on this project, which has been running since 2003 and which is led by Associate Professor Kliti Grice of Curtin University. Funding has been gratefully received from the Australian Research Council. Some of the recent successes of this project include the identification of anaerobic photosynthesis in Early Triassic seas; the identification of a novel biomarker that appears to mark the onset of ecological collapse; the characterisation of an Early Triassic source rock from the Perth Basin; and analyses of the distribution of Permian-Triassic biomarkers from East Greenland and around the world.

 

 

Research degrees awarded to supervised students

Current PhD Students:

• Birgit Nabbefeld (Curtin University, WA) Synchronous disturbance in oceanic and atmospheric conditions during the end-Permian mass extinction event and its protracted recovery [funded by ARC; co-advisors Prof. K. Grice (Curtin), Prof. R. Summons (MIT)]

 

• L. Felipe Opazo (UoP) Ecological changes of marine ecosystems through the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event [funded by an EU AlBan Scholarship; co-advisor Prof. Malcolm Hart]

• Martha Koot (UoP) The ecology and evolution of Permian-Triassic sharks [co-advisor Prof Malcolm Hart]
  

Former PhD students: 

• Timothy Kearsey (2009) Multi-proxy palaeoclimate reconstruction of the Permian–Triassic mass extinction event. Current Position: Survey Geologist, British Geological Survey.

 

Grants & contracts

 
Competitive Research Grants awarded since 2000:

2009 PI, EC Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship, with Dr. G.D. Price (Co-I, UoP), to study Early Mesozoic Biodiversity and Climate Change (EMBiCC): total value Euro 172,434 [start date 1/4/2009, end date 31/3/2011]

2008 Co-I, Danish Natural Science Research Council Framework Grant, with Dr. Gilles Cuny (PI, Natural History Museum of Denmark), to study fossil sharks from Greenland and the great Permo-Triassic mass extinction: total value DKK 806,519 [start date 6/2009, end date 5/2010]

2008 PI, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Small Grant, with Dr. G.D. Price (Co-I, UoP), to study global warming and the Late Permian mass extinction event: total value £46,265 [start date 6/2008, end date 11/2009]

2006 Co-I, Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant, with Dr. Z.Q. Chen (PI, University of Western Australia) to study the recovery of marine ecosystems following the Late Permian mass extinction event: total value AU$563,000 [start date 1/2007, end date 12/2011]

2005 Co-I, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Standard Grant with Prof M.J. Benton (PI, University of Bristol), to study the terrestrial Permian-Triassic record of Russia: £200,009 [end date 12/2009]. Details of the Russia Project can be found here

2004 Co-I, Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant with Dr. K. Grice (PI, Curtin University of Technology, Perth): AU$10,650

2003 PI, Royal Society Japan-UK 2+2 Fellowship, for research on the Permian-Triassic extinction event and recovery, including two years at Tokyo University (2003-2005) funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS): first leg JPY9,725,000 (ca. £49,000) plus JPY3,000,000 (ca. £15,000) research grant (JSPS); second leg £80,287 (Royal Society) [end date 09/2007]

2003 Co-I, National Geographic Research Grant, with Prof. M.J. Benton (PI, University of Bristol), for fieldwork in Russia: US$20,000 details here

2000 PI, Lindemann Trust Fellowship, The English Speaking Union, for study at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles: US$30,000

Competitive Studentships awarded

2007 The Lilliput effect in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction event. Nuffield Science Bursary (Undergraduate Research). The Nuffield Foundation. £1360.

2005 Palaeoclimate change and the Permian-Triassic mass extinction event. UoP Faculty of Science PhD Studentship. Co-supervisors Dr. G.D. Price, Dr. S. Grimes and Prof. M.J. Benton (Bristol). [end date 09/2008]

Others

2008 Co-Leader, Restoration of marine ecosystems following the Permian-Triassic mass extinction: lessons for the present. This is IGCP 572, funded by UNESCO and IUGS. Project leaders: Zhong Qiang Chen (Australia), Richard J. Twitchett (UK), Jinnan Tong (China), Margaret L. Fraiser (USA), Sylvie Crasquin (France), Steve Kershaw (UK), Thomas Algeo (USA) and Kliti Grice (Australia). Start date 2008, end date 2012. For more information click here

 

 

Publications

Recently published peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and comments/replies are detailed below and copies are available on request. 41 of my publications are listed in the ISI Web of Science. A complete list of all publications is available upon request.

Publications in Science/Nature

K. Grice, C. Cao, G.D. Love, M.E. Boettcher, R.J. Twitchett, E. Grosjean, R.E. Summons, S.C. Turgeon, W. Dunning & Y. Jin, 2005. Photic zone euxinia during the Permian-Triassic Superanoxic Event. Science 307, 706-709.

P.B. Wignall & R.J. Twitchett, 1996. Late Permian extinctions - reply. Science 274, 1552.

P.B. Wignall & R.J. Twitchett, 1996. Oceanic anoxia and the end-Permian mass extinction. Science 272, 1155-1158. pdf here


Peer-reviewed publications since January 2008

T. Kearsey, R.J. Twitchett, G.D. Price & S.T. Grimes, 2009. Isotope excursions and palaeotemperature estimates from the Permian/Triassic boundary in the Southern Alps (Italy). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 279, 29-40.

Z.Q. Chen, R.J. Twitchett & J. Tong, 2009. Permian-Triassic mass extinction and subsequent recovery: an update. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 56, 741-744.

G.D. Price, R.J.Twitchett, C. Smale & V. Marks, 2009. Isotopic analysis of the life history of the enigmatic squid Spirula spirula, with implications for studies of fossil cephalopods. Palaios, 24, 273-279.

G.K. Taylor, C. Tucker, R.J. Twitchett, T. Kearsey, M.J. Benton, A.J. Newell, M.V. Surkov & V.P. Tverdokhlebov, 2009. Magnetostratigraphy of Permian/Triassic boundary sequences in the Cis-Urals, Russia: no evidence for a major temporal hiatus. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 281, 36-47.

M.V. Surkov, M.J. Benton, R.J. Twitchett, V.P. Tverdokhlebov, A.J. Newell & C.V. Looy, 2009. The footprints of large therapsids from Vyatkian gorizont deposits (Upper Permian) in south Urals. In,  MA Shishkin & VP Tverdokhlebov (eds), Researches on paleontology and biostratigraphy of ancient continental deposits (Memories of Professor Vitalii G. Ochev), Saratov, publishers «Nauchnaya Kniga», pp. 175–188. [in Russian]

L. Mander & R.J.Twitchett, 2008. Quality of the Triassic-Jurassic bivalve fossil record in northwest Europe. Palaeontology, 51, 1213-1223.

J.D. Radley, R.J. Twitchett, L. Mander & J.C.W. Cope, 2008. Discussion on palaeoecology of the Late Triassic extinction event in SW UK. Journal of the Geological Society, London, 165, 988-992.

L. Mander, R.J. Twitchett & M.J. Benton, 2008. Palaeoecology of the Late Triassic extinction event in the southwest UK. Journal of the Geological Society, London, 165, 319-332.
 

Key Publications pre-2008

R.J. Twitchett, 2007. The Lilliput effect in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction event. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 252, 132-144.

C.G. Barras & R.J. Twitchett, 2007. Response of the marine infauna to Triassic-Jurassic environmental change: ichnological data from southern England. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 244, 223-241.

R.J. Twitchett, 2006. The palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology and palaeoenvironmental analysis of mass extinction events. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 232, 190-213.

Twitchett, R.J., Krystyn, L., Baud, A., Wheeley, J.R., Richoz, S., 2004. Rapid marine recovery after the end-Permian mass extinction event in the absence of marine anoxia. Geology 32, 805-808.

Benton, M.J., Twitchett, R.J., 2003. How to kill (almost) all life: the end-Permian extinction event. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18, 358-365.

L. Krystyn, A. Baud, S. Richoz & R.J. Twitchett, 2003. A unique Permian-Triassic boundary section from Oman. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 191, 329-344.

P.B. Wignall & R.J. Twitchett, 2002. Extent, duration and nature of the Permian-Triassic superanoxic event. In, C. Koeberl and K.G. MacLeod (eds), Catastrophic events and mass extinctions: impacts and beyond, GSA Special Papers 356, 395-413.

R.J. Twitchett, 2001. Incompleteness of the Permian-Triassic fossil record: a consequence of productivity decline? Geological Journal 36, 341-353. pdf here

C.V. Looy, R.J. Twitchett, D.L. Dilcher, J.H.A. Konijnenburg-Van Cittert & H. Visscher, 2001. Life in the end-Permian dead zone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 98, 7879-7883. pdf here

R.J. Twitchett, C.V. Looy, R. Morante, H. Visscher & P.B. Wignall, 2001. Rapid and synchronous collapse of marine and terrestrial ecosystems during the end-Permian mass extinction event. Geology 29, 351-354.


Edited volumes 

Chen, Z.Q., Twitchett, R.J., Tong, J., (Editors), 2009. Permian-Triassic mass extinction and subsequent recovery: an update. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 56(6), 741-872

Baud, A., Beauchamp, B., Marcoux, J., & Twitchett, R.J., (Editors), 2003. Pangea Special Issue - selected papers from the Pangea Symposium. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 191(3-4), 265-404.

Selected recently published abstracts

M.B. Hart, S.R. Searle, C.W. Smart, R.J. Twitchett, 2008. Agglutinated foraminifera across the K/T boundary, Brazos River, Texas. In, S. Filipescu and M.A. Kaminski (Eds.), Eighth International Workshop on Agglutinated Foraminifera, Abstract Volume, Grzybowski Foundation Special Publication No. 14, pp. 18-19.

R.J. Twitchett, 2008. Post-extinction recovery of the soft-bodied marine benthos: the trace fossil records of the Late Permian and Late Triassic mass extinction events. In, A. Uchman (Ed.), The Second International Congress on Ichnology, Abstract Book, Polish Geological Institute, Warsaw, pp. 121-122.

R.J. Twitchett, 2007. Ichnology and our understanding of the recovery of the marine benthos after the Late Permian extinction event. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, 39(6), p. 205

R.J. Twitchett, 2007. Oxygen as a control on the Permian-Triassic evolution of the marine biosphere. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, 39(6), p. 25

K. Grice, B. Nabbefeld, E. Maslen, R.E. Summons, L. Hays, R.J. Twitchett, S. Turgeon, T. Algeo, M.E. Boettcher, 2007. Significance of biomarkers for P/T and F/F mass extinctions. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 71(15), Suppl. S, A354

B. Nabbefeld, K., Grice, R.J. Twitchett, A. Schimmelmann, P. Sauer, 2007. D/H of kerogen across the Permian/Triassic (P/Tr) boundary. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 71(15), Suppl. S, A698

M. Benton, M. Ruta, R. Twitchett, T. Valentin, M. Surkov, 2007. Mass extinction of tetrapods at the Permo-Triassic boundary in Russia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 27(3), 47A

L. Mander, R.J. Twitchett & M.J. Benton, 2007. Paleoecology of the Late Triassic extinction event in southwest Britain. In: S.G. Lucas and J.A. Spielmann (eds.), The Global Triassic, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 41, 268.

K. Grice, S. Fenton, M.E. Bottcher, R.J. Twitchett, R.E. Summons & E. Grosjean, 2006. The biogeochemical cycling of sulfur, carbon and nitrogen across the Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) Hovea-3 borehole (Western Australia) and Schuchert dal section (Eastern Greenland). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 70, A218 Suppl.S.

R.J. Twitchett, 2006. Environmental controls on body size in the Permian and Early Triassic. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, 38(7), p. 473

R.J. Twitchett, 2005b. The Lilliput effect in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction event. Albertiana 33, 79-81.

 

R.J. Twitchett, 2005a. A novel palaeoecological method for quantifying biotic recovery in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction event. Albertiana 33, 76-79.

 

R.J. Twitchett, 2004.Diachronous ecosystem recovery after the Late Permian mass extinction event. Palaeontological Association, 48th Annual Meeting, Palaeontology Newsletter 57, p. 182.

 

J.R. Wheeley, R.J. Twitchett, 2002. A new gastropod fauna from the Early Triassic of Oman. Palaeontological Association 46th Annual Meeting, Palaeontology Newsletter, 51, p. 146.

 

D. Casenove, R.J.Twitchett, T. Oji, 2004. Biotic recovery in the aftermath of the Late Permian mass extinction event: new data from the oceanic seamounts of SW Japan. Palaeontological Association 48th Annual Meeting, Palaeontology Newsletter 57, p. 114-115.

 

N. Price-Lloyd, R.J. Twitchett, 2002. The Lilliput effect in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction event. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, 34(6), p. 355.

 

 

 

 

 

Reports & invited lectures

Recent invited and keynote lectures

2009

·         The most miserable two months: Darwin in Plymouth, 1831. Royal Western Yacht Club, Plymouth, UK, 18^th February. Invited speaker.

·         The most miserable two months: Darwin in Plymouth, 1831. Plymouth City Museum, Plymouth, UK, 10^th February. Invited speaker.

 

2008

·         Mass extinction events past and present. Plymouth SciBAr (science cafe), Plymouth, UK, 5th February. Invited speaker

 

·         Quantifying biotic recovery after mass extinction events. Palaeontological Discussion Group (PDG) seminar, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, 1st February. Invited speaker

 

2007

·         Ichnology and our understanding of the recovery of the marine benthos after the Late Permian extinction event. Geological Society of America Annual meeting, Denver, USA, 29th October. Invited keynote speaker

 

·         Oxygen as a control on the Permian-Triassic evolution of the marine biosphere. Pardee Keynote Symposium on Oxygen, Evolution and Extinction, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, USA, 28th October. Invited speaker

 

·         Biotic responses to environmental change during the Permian-Triassic extinction event. China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China. 29th June. Invited lecture

 

·         New beginning: life after the Permian-Triassic extinction event. Devonshire Association, Exeter, UK. 31st March. Invited lecture

 

·         Downsizing in adversity: the Lilliput effect in the aftermath of extinction events. Department of Earth Sciences, Open University, UK. 8th March. Invited lecture

 

2006    

·         Recovery after the Late Permian extinction event: an ecological view. Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, USA. 27^th October. Invited lecture

·         Ocean islands and mass extinctions: the fossil record of Japan. The Japan Society, London, UK. 6^th June. Invited lecture.

·         Recovery of biodiversity in the aftermath of mass extinction events. Biodiversity: perspectives from deep time (an International Workshop for Young Scientists), British Council & Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden. 22^nd-24^th March. Invited participant, poster presentation

2005    

·         Life in miniature: size change and the end-Permian mass extinction event. Lapworth Lecture Series, University of Birmingham, UK. November. Invited lecture

·         The Lilliput effect in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction event. International Symposium on Triassic Chronostratigraphy and Biotic Recovery, Chaohu, China. 24^th May. Keynote speaker

2004    

·         Marine ecology in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction event. Komaba Earth Group Summer Seminar, University of Tokyo, Japan. 27^th April. Invited lecture

·         Marine ecology in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction event. Geosphere and Biosphere Science Seminar, University of Tokyo, Japan. 22^nd April. Invited lecture

2003    

·         Biotic crisis, climate change and ocean circulation during the Permian-Triassic mass　extinction interval.　Climate Change through the Ages (a French-British Workshop for Young Scientists), British Council & CNRS, Paris, France. 18^th March. Invited participant, oral presentation

·         When oceans die. Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institute, Bath, UK. 24^th March. Invited lecture

·         Trace fossils in the aftermath of mass extinction events. Lyell Meeting, Geological Society of London, London, UK (co-authored with C. Barras, NHM). 24^th February. Invited lecture

2002    

·         Reassessing the role of oceanic anoxia in the end-Permian extinction and recovery. Palaeobiology seminar series, University of Oxford, UK. 20^th November. Invited lecture

·         When oceans die. British Association for the Advancement of Science, Festival of Science, Leicester, UK. 14^th September. Invited lecture

 

 

Conferences organised

2008 Recoveries from Mass Extinction: Patterns, Processes and Comparisons, Topical Session T41, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, 8th October, Houston, USA, co-organised with Dr. Peter Harries, (Univ. South Florida)

2006  Extinction, Dwarfing and the Lilliput effect, Topical Session 112, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, 25th October, Philadelphia, USA, co-organised with Dr. Bridget Wade (Rutgers)

2001  The Beginning of the Mesozoic, Symposium S8, North American Paleontological Convention, 27th June, UC Berkeley, California, USA, co-organised with Prof. Dave J. Bottjer (USC)

 

Other academic activities

Outreach activities

Darwin200 celebrations

As part of the local celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, I have been involved with a number of outreach activites associated with events in the university and Plymouth City Museum.

In his autobiography, Darwin famously noted that the two months he spent in Plymouth while waiting for the Beagle to depart were "the most miserable which [he] ever spent". Curious to know more of his miserable time here, I undertook a small investigation of his journal and letters written around that time (September to December 1831). While it is clear that he did indeed find aspects of his stay gloomy and depressing, he also demonstrably enjoyed many things, including walks in the neighbouring countryside, interacting with local scientists, lectures in the Athenaeum, day trips to explore local geology (Plymouth Limestone quarries and the granite tors of Dartmoor), dinners, dances and other entertainments. I have been invited to give several lectures on Darwin's time in Plymouth, including at the Plymouth City Museum (10th February and 20th March), and the Royal Western Yacht Club (18th February). This activity has also been covered in the local press.