#799 Pasquale Raia: The Impact of Climate Change on Evolution, and the Extinction of Species
RECORDED ON MARCH 6th 2023.
Dr. Pasquale Raia is Professor of Paleontology and Paleoecology at the University of Naples Federico II. His scientific interests concern the evolution and the dynamics of extinction of animal species, and in particular the fossils of hominid species. His most notable scientific contributions regard evolutionary theories about the evolution of insular species, the complexity of organisms, and the dynamics of extinction of hominids.
In this episode, we start by talking about climate change as a factor in evolution, and what drives the extinction of species. We discuss how increased specialization can be a problem. We get into how climate change impacted the evolution of hominins. We talk about why Neanderthals went extinct and H. sapiens survived, and how similar their cognitive ability was. We discuss how H. sapiens was able to increase its habitable area. We talk about what drove the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna. Finally, we discuss the relationship between morphological integration and functional performance, and how it influences evolution.
Time Links:
Intro
Climate change as a factor in evolution
What drives the extinction of species
How increased specialization can be a problem
How climate change impacted the evolution of hominins
Why Neanderthals went extinct and H. sapiens survived
Cerebral cortex integration in Neanderthals and H. sapiens, and their cognitive ability
Culture and nice construction, and how H. sapiens increased its habitable area
What drove the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna
The relationship between morphological integration and functional performance, and how it influences evolution
Follow Dr. Raia’s work!
Follow Dr. Raia’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3gTWsAl
Raia’s Lab: https://bit.ly/3C7kpfx
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3sHohP4