- Invitation to the public habilitation colloquium
Dr. Chris Mays - Wednesday 10th of June 2026, 12:00–13:00
- Room 2A 225 (Wilhelm Klaus Übungssaal), Building UZA II, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna
- Title: A toolkit for diagnosing prehistoric terrestrial ecosystem collapse
The history of life on Earth has been punctuated by global ecosystem collapse events, or mass extinctions, most of which have been linked to rapid, greenhouse gas-driven warming. Since these ‘hyperthermal events’ share a common underlying cause, they might be placed on a spectrum of severity. By applying a standardized ecosystem collapse ‘toolkit’, we can quantify and compare the magnitudes of environmental and ecological changes to different extreme warming events of Earth’s past. Lastly, Chris’ research shows that we may be able to apply the lessons of past hyperthermal events to the future of our warming world.
Chris received his PhD in palaeobotany and palynology from Monash University (Melbourne, Australia) and was Postdoctoral Fellow at the Swedish Museum of Natural History (Stockholm, Sweden). He has served as Lecturer of Palaeontology at Monash University and University College Cork (Cork, Ireland). Since late 2024, Chris has been Senior Curator of Palaeobotany at Natural History Museum Vienna.