research interests – palaeoecology

As a field that synthesizes insights from Earth and Life Sciences, paleoecology offers a comprehensive view of how organisms interacted with each other and their environments in the past. By studying body and trace fossils—ranging from trilobite burrows to brachiopod shells—I aim to reconstruct the life cycles, interactions, and ecological settings of extinct organisms. This endeavor not only enriches our understanding of Earth history but also provides a foundation for interpreting the complexities of modern ecosystems.

For instance, at Braies in the Dolomites, I examined a newly discovered site from the Upper Triassic, where 160,000 fossil burrows were identified. These findings indicate the presence of an arid carbonate tidal flat environment and potentially represent the earliest fossil evidence of true crabs.

Selected papers

  • Baucon, A., Ferretti, A., Fioroni, C., Pandolfi, L., Serpagli, E., Piccinini, A., Neto de Carvalho, C., Cachão, M., Linley, T., Muñiz, F., Belaústegui, Z., Jamieson, A., Lo Russo, G., Guerrini, F., Ferrando, S., Priede, I. (2023). The earliest evidence of deep-sea vertebrates. PNAS 120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2306164120
  • Baucon, A., Enrichetti, F., Cabella, R., Bavestrello, G., Bo, M., Toma, M., Neto de Carvalho, C., Carbone, C., Briguglio, A. (2023). Sabellid tubes from the deep shelf off Liguria (Italy): A modern analogue for distal Skolithos Ichnofacies? Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111333
  • Baucon, A., Neto de Carvalho, C., Felletti, F., Tosadori, G., Antonelli, A. (2021). Small-world dynamics drove Phanerozoic divergence of burrowing behaviors. Geology 49: 748–752. https://doi.org/10.1130/G48523.1
  • Baucon, A., Neto de Carvalho, C. 2016. Stars of the aftermath: Asteriacites beds from the Lower Triassic of the Carnic Alps (Werfen Formation, Sauris di Sopra), Italy. Palaios 31(4): 161-176. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2015.015
  • Baucon A., Felletti F. 2013. The IchnoGIS method: Network science and geostatistics in ichnology. Theory and application (Grado lagoon, Italy). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 375(1): 83-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.02.016
  • Baucon A., Felletti F. 2013. Neoichnology of a barrier-island system: the Mula di Muggia (Grado lagoon, Italy). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 375(1): 112-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.02.011