DeepIL – Deep-Time Impacts of Life on Earth System
Most paleontological and ecological work revolves around the impact of the abiotic Earth system on life, but how does life influence Earth?

Life is often treated as a passive respondent to Earth system changes. However, life itself has a profound impact on the Earth System. However, life’s regulatory mechanisms on the atmospheric composition and climate have been verified empirically and through biogeochemical modeling. Still, our quantitative understanding is very limited.
The scope of this workshop is to bring together different perspectives on life’s impact on other spheres of the earth system, define research gaps and priorities, investigate options for interdisciplinary collaborations. We especially draw on the expertise in Germany for this.
Group members: Simon Darroch (Senkenberg, Frankfurt a.M.), Oskar Hagen (Goethe Univ. Frankfurt a.M.), Lisa Hülsmann (Univ. Bayreuth), Axel Munnecke (FAU), Sebastian Teichert (FAU), Manuel Steinbauer (Univ. Bayreuth), Max Wisshak (Senkenberg am Meer), Benjamin Mills (Univ. Leeds), William Foster (Uni Hamburg), Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr (FU Berlin), Evelyn Kustatscher (LMU, Bozen, Innsbruck), Kate Lyons (Univ. of Nebrasca-Lincoln), Rachel Warnock (FAU), Aldo Benites Palomino (Zurich), Adam Kocsis (FAU)
Workshop took place from September 30 to October 2, 2025.

From the left: Axel Munnecke, Oskar Hagen, Adam Kocsis, Max Wisshak, Evelyn Kustatscher, Sebastian Teichert, Lisa Hülsmann, Wolfgang Kiessling, Danijela Dimitrijevic, Simon Darroch, Rachel Warnoch, Manuel Steinbauer, Barbara Seuss