Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kießling

Wolfgang Kiessling is Professor of Palaeoenvironments and Palaeobiology at the GeoZentrum Nordbayern of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). His research investigates how climate and environmental change affect biodiversity, marine ecosystems, and particularly coral reefs over geological timescales. A major focus is on mass extinctions and the question of why some groups of organisms survive environmental crises while others decline dramatically or disappear.

Through quantitative analyses of the fossil record and the integration of palaeontological data with ecological and evolutionary approaches, Kiessling contributes to uncovering long-term patterns and mechanisms of biodiversity change. His research highlights the importance of Earth’s history for understanding today’s biodiversity crisis and the risks associated with climate change.