Dr. Robert Elias

My research is directed toward a long-term program on fossil corals, coral-like fossils, and environmental changes during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, Late Ordovician mass extinction, and Early Silurian recovery. It deals with some of the most significant events in Earth history. Tremendous diversification and biotic change occurred during the Ordovician Period (~485–444 million years ago); corals became a major faunal component for the first time. The Late Ordovician mass extinction resulted in one of the largest decreases in biodiversity, and in a reorganization of coral faunas. This was followed by renewed diversification during the Early Silurian recovery (~444–433 million years ago). Analysis of the patterns and processes involved in these events is being integrated with broadly based studies on all aspects and applications of fossil corals and coral-like fossils.

Elias, R.J., Lee, D.-J., and Pratt, B.R. 2021. The “earliest tabulate corals” are not tabulates. Geology, v. 49, no. 3, p. 304–308.

Liang, K., Elias, R.J., and Lee, D.-J. 2018. The early record of halysitid tabulate corals, and morphometrics of Catenipora from the Ordovician of north-central China. Papers in Palaeontology, v. 4, pt. 3, p. 363–379.

Lee, M., Elias, R.J., Choh, S.-J., and Lee, D.-J. 2016. Insight from early coral–stromatoporoid intergrowth, Late Ordovician of China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 463, p. 192–204.

Sun, N., Elias, R.J., and Lee, D.-J. 2014. The biological affinity of Amsassia: new evidence from the Ordovician of North China. Palaeontology, v. 57, pt. 5, p. 1067–1089.

Elias, R.J., Young, G.A., Lee, D.-J., and Bae, B.-Y. 2013. Coral biogeography in the Late Ordovician (Cincinnatian) of Laurentia; in Harper, D.A.T., and Servais, T. (eds.), Early Palaeozoic Biogeography and Palaeogeography. Geological Society (London) Memoir, no. 38, p. 97–115.