description Douglas H. Erwin Overview
Douglas H. Erwin is an American paleobiologist and senior scientist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. His research focuses primarily on macroevolution, evolutionary innovations, and mass extinctions, particularly the Permian-Triassic extinction event. Erwin has contributed significantly to the scientific understanding of the Cambrian Explosion through his publications and fieldwork.
His work is aimed at advancing academic understanding of complex evolutionary history.
help Douglas H. Erwin FAQ
What does Douglas H. Erwin study about the end-Permian extinction?
Erwin studies the causes, ecological destruction, and evolutionary recovery associated with the end-Permian mass extinction. The event occurred roughly 252 million years ago and was the most severe known extinction in Earth's history.
What is Erwin's connection to the Smithsonian Institution?
Erwin is a paleobiologist associated with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. His research combines fossil evidence with evolutionary and ecological questions about major transitions in animal life.
What argument does Erwin make in The Cambrian Explosion?
In the 2013 book The Cambrian Explosion, Erwin and James Valentine examine how animal body plans and ecological complexity emerged during the Cambrian radiation. They consider fossils, developmental biology, and environmental change rather than attributing the event to one simple trigger.
How is the Cambrian Explosion different from a mass extinction?
The Cambrian Explosion describes a major diversification of animal forms beginning more than 500 million years ago. A mass extinction, such as the end-Permian event studied by Erwin, instead involves the rapid loss of a large share of existing biodiversity.
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