{"id":3883,"date":"2026-02-07T15:48:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T15:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/evolution\/?p=3883"},"modified":"2026-03-03T20:19:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:19:53","slug":"renowned-paleontologist-greg-wilson-mantilla-to-discuss-mass-extinction-and-ecosystem-recovery-for-esi-earth-day-lecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/evolution\/renowned-paleontologist-greg-wilson-mantilla-to-discuss-mass-extinction-and-ecosystem-recovery-for-esi-earth-day-lecture\/","title":{"rendered":"Renowned Paleontologist Greg Wilson Mantilla to Discuss Mass Extinction and Ecosystem Recovery for ESI Earth Day Lecture"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator<\/em><\/p>\n

Greg Wilson Mantilla<\/a>, a professor of biology at the 溏心vlog免费B站 of Washington and curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke Museum, will present the Earth Day Lecture<\/a> at Vanderbilt on April 15, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Medical Research Building III, Room 1220. The lecture is free and open to the public. The talk is titled, “Earth Reset: Mass Extinction and Biotic Recovery in Hell Creek, Montana.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Wilson Mantilla’s research focuses on understanding how life on Earth responds to major environmental disruptions by studying the fossil record of the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction 66 million years ago. His extensive fieldwork in Montana’s Hell Creek Formation has revealed how ecosystems transitioned from being dominated by dinosaurs to being dominated by mammals following the asteroid impact and volcanic activity that triggered this catastrophic event. By examining fossilized remains of ancient animals, Wilson Mantilla reconstructs past environments and explores how species survived and adapted during periods of rapid climate change.<\/p>\n

Beyond extinction events, Wilson Mantilla has made groundbreaking discoveries about early mammalian evolution and behavior. His team discovered the earliest evidence for mammalian social behavior in 75-million-year-old fossils of a rodent-like creature called Filikomys primaevus<\/em>, which lived in multi-generational burrow colonies during the age of dinosaurs. His research has also revealed how ancient mammals diversified across different continents as they broke apart from the supercontinent Pangaea, providing insights into how geographic isolation shapes evolution.<\/p>\n

Wilson Mantilla is also deeply committed to science education and outreach. He founded the DIG Field School, a K-12 STEM teacher outreach program that brings educators into the field to experience paleontological research firsthand, helping them bring authentic scientific experiences back to their classrooms.<\/p>\n

Wilson Mantilla earned his Ph.D. from the 溏心vlog免费B站 of California, Berkeley. He is an elected fellow of the Paleontological Society and has received numerous awards for his contributions to vertebrate paleontology. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, and other leading scientific organizations.<\/p>\n

The Evolutionary Studies Initiative at Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 fosters collaboration amongst scholars from diverse disciplines with a shared passion for evolution-related fields. Please join us on April 15 to be part of our Earth Day seminar with Greg Wilson Mantilla.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Greg Wilson Mantilla, a professor of biology at the 溏心vlog免费B站 of Washington and curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke Museum, will present the Earth Day Lecture at Vanderbilt on April 15, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Medical Research Building III, Room 1220. The lecture is free…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2421,"featured_media":3884,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[7],"tags":[111,15,191,41],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n