The DFG-funded Coordinated Research Centre (CRC) ‘Earth – Evolution at the dry limit’ approaches the end of the first - of potentially three - four-year funding period (http://sfb1211.uni-koeln.de/). The CRC’s investigators are currently consolidating their project ideas for the envisaged second phase (7/2020-6/2024). Aim of the town hall meeting is to discuss concepts and project ideas with scientist that are currently outside the CRC. The CRC's sub-projects are open to collaboration with external investigators (DFG-rules apply).
The objective of the CRC is to pioneer the research on the mutual evolutionary relationships between Earth surface processes and biota. The target areas are arid to hyper-arid systems, where both biota and Earth surface process are severely and predominantly limited by the availability of water. In doing this we aim to isolate the key fingerprints of biological activity at the (water) limit of the habitable Earth, and to characterize the Earth surface processes operating in the (virtual) absence of liquid water (fog is present in many areas, runoff-creating precipitation is absent in many areas). We aim to characterize thresholds for biological colonization and concurrent fluvial transformation of landscapes, the tipping point(s) of biotically and abiotically controlled Earth surface systems, and establish detailed long-term terrestrial climatic records of the oldest and most arid zones on Earth. Chronometric and spatial information on the colonization and radiation of biota will be related to the landscape evolution and their common driver; climate.
In achieving these goals, we foresee major contributions to emerging concepts of evolutionary lag time, the interplay between geographical barriers and species migration in response to climate change, species diversification in response to climate and geological processes, biogeomorphology and the development and refinement of methodologies to date and determine rates of Earth surface processes and biological evolution.