Marine Paleobiodiversity

Dr. Mu. Ramkumar obtained his B.Sc. and Ph.D. from National College, Bharathidasan University, masters in geology from Annamalai University. His research interests range from Recent–Paleozoic depositional systems and integrated sequence–chemostratigraphy, and basin evolution. He has published about 100 articles author of 5 books (Cretaceous Sea Level Cycles, Marine Paleobiodiversity, Habitat Heterogeneity, Chemostratigraphy, River Basin etc.) and editor of 6 books published/in press by Elsevier, Springer, Wiley etc. He is a member of National Working Group on IGCP−609 Cretaceous Sea Level Cycles. He worked as research team leader and member in national international labs in India, Germany, Malaysia, France. He was the recipient of the prestigious Alexander Von Humboldt Fellowship, Visiting Scientist (thrice), Germany, Visiting Professor (France), Young Scientist (twice), Government of India, and was included in the Marquee's Who's Who directory (USA) for 5 consecutive years. He was nominated for the prestigious Merh Award (Geological Society of India) for his work on Geomorphology. He serves as a member in review and editorial panels of about two dozen international geological journals.

• PrefaceAcknowledgments1. INTRODUCTION2. RATIONALE 3. BIODIVERSITY AND HABITAT IN THE GEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE4. METHODS OF BIODIVERSITY AND HABITAT HETEROGENEITY ANALYSES4.1. Approaches of biodiversity4.2. Numerical methods and database based analyses4.3. Spatial biodiversity4.4. True and apparent biodiversity- biodiversity signals and causes of distortion4.5. Methods employed in removing biases in biodiversity signals5. COUPLED NATURE OF CLIMATE-SEA LEVEL AND THE INFLUENCE ON BIODIVERSITY5.1. Paleobiodiversity dynamics in the light of eustatic sea level cycles5.2. Climatic and oceanographic changes due to sea level fluctuations and biodiversity5.3. Scales of environmental changes and influences on biodiversity and habitat6. IMPACTS OF SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS ON BIOTIC TURNOVER6.1. Long-term changes and biodiversity dynamics 6.2. Short-term changes and perturbations and resultant biodiversity dynamics 7. CONCLUSIONS8. REFERENCES