2 Interdisciplinary Paleontology: New approaches to solving complex paleontological problems (Part I)

Paleontology is increasingly drawing upon insight from other disciplines to solve complex problems and generate more accurate reconstructions of past life. This session will illustrate novel interdisciplinary research and provide tools to develop such approaches.

Monday, 18 May 2026
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alvarado F

Assessing modern nautilidae ecology using 3D Ecological Niche Modeling

Paper number: 2-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:40 AM – 9:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

Nautilids are one of the longest-lasting orders of molluscs and were once globally distributed among a large proportion of marine ecosystems. However, modern taxa in the family Nautilidae are heavily restricted to the shores of Indo-Pacific islands and their surrounding seas. Here, we seek to characterize the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that may have influenced this reduction in niche and environmental space, and to explore what projections could tell us about pathways that this group could take in a modern, rapidly changing world. Using the current distribution of species within Nautilidae, environmental factors known to influence marine species’ distributions, and a recent and highly resolved phylogenetic hypothesis for the evolutionary history of this group, we test the hypothesis: Does the evolution of modern nautilid species reflect abiotically mediated allopatric speciation? And are they undergoing significant niche evolution? To do this, I apply ecological niche modeling in novel ways using 3D environmental data. Nautilids have endured since the Ordovician, experiencing a myriad of environmental changes with varying magnitude, duration, and frequency. However, since the Oligocene nautilid diversity has dropped precipitously, resulting in only two modern genera encompassing a handful of species (Bonacum et al., 2011). Explanations for this may relate to the changing biotic landscape in global oceans (Kiel et al., 2022) or abiotic change that reduces the size and connectivity of habitable areas (tested here and/or Dzik and Gaździcki, 2001). Teasing these mechanisms apart is important for marine ecosystems generally (Peterson et al, 2011), particularly as human activities impact both biotic and abiotic environments in which marine species, like nautilids, thrive. To some degree, targeting this issue has been hampered by incomplete marine environmental datasets, especially missing abiotic conditions that change with depth. Here, we apply a 3D abiotic modeling approach to address this issue for the first time using fossil taxa. Gaining a better understanding of how nautilids are distributed can inform future conservation strategies and prevent the loss of a clade that has flourished in the oceans for over 400 million years.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 4

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026RM-410686

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