Alycia Stigall

Alycia went to The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where she majored in both biology and geological sciences. She later completed a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at the University of Kansas, where she studied the impact of invasive species on evolution, biogeography, and extinction during the Devonian period (about 419 to 359 million years ago). Afterwards, she took a position as a faculty member at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She is currently a Professor and serves as Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences.

Alycia focuses on using the fossil record of ancient species invasions to better predict the long-term impacts of modern invasive species. She uses models to reconstruct the geographic distributions of fossil species and builds phylogenetic trees, or diagrams that illustrate the relationships among species. She works with these tools to understand key events in the fossil record, like the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE), the Richmondian Invasion, and the Late Devonian Biodiversity Crisis. Much of Alycia’s research uses brachiopods as a study group. Brachiopods are marine (saltwater) invertebrates that have a shell made up of two parts connected by a hinge; although they look somewhat like clams, the two groups are not related. By her own admission, Alycia is well known for sharing her enthusiasm for brachiopods with anyone nearby.

Alycia’s work is grounded in strong mentoring and collaboration with her graduate students, and most of her publications include one or more student coauthors. She advocates for increasing inclusion in science and has published on the subject of gender equality in paleontology. She also recognizes the importance of science outreach to the broader community. She has developed websites and apps for fossil identification and trained K–12 science teachers in how to include authentic science in their classrooms. In addition, she leads a Junior Girl Scout troop.

In 2016, Alycia was awarded the Paleontological Society’s Charles Schuchert Award, which is given to an outstanding early-career paleontologist. At the time, Alycia was only the fifth woman to win the award, which was created in 1973 and is given annually. In 2017, she won the Professional Excellence Award given by the Association for Women Geoscientists. She has also won multiple awards for outstanding research, service, and teaching from the Ohio University Department of Geological Sciences.

Daring to Dig Interview

In this interview, Alycia discusses her past experiences as a geology student and her work as a professor, including her role in advocating for gender parity in geology. This video was recorded in 2017.

Content note: This video includes descriptions of sexual harassment.

Selected technical works by Alycia Stigall

Stigall, A.L. 2017. Ordovician oxygen and biodiversity. Nature Geoscience 10: 887–888. Link

Stigall, A.L. 2018. How is biodiversity produced? Examining speciation processes during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. Lethaia 51: 165–172. Link

Stigall, A.L. 2019. The invasion hierarchy: ecological and evolutionary consequences of invasions in the fossil record. Annual Review of Ecology and Evolutionary Systematics 50: 355–380. Link

Stigall, A.L., and R. Fine. 2019. Contrasting ecosystem impacts of biotic invasions in the Type Cincinnatian Series (Late Ordovician, Katian). Palaeoworld 18: 166–172. Link

Stigall, A.L., R.L. Freeman, C.T. Edwards, and C.M.Ø. Rasmussen. 2020. A multidisciplinary perspective on the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event and the development of the Paleozoic world. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 543: 1–8. Link

Selected works on diversity, equity, and inclusion by Alycia Stigall

Paleontological Society Diversity & Inclusion Committee [D.M. Smith, J. Al Aswad, T. Bariş, M. Fraiser, P. Harnik, P. Marenco, P. Monarrez, E. Santee, A. Stigall, and S. Tennakoon]. 2021. Diversity, equity, and inclusion matter in paleontology. Priscum 26(1): 1–4. Link

Plotnick, R.E., A.L. Stigall, and I. Stefanescu. 2014. Evolution of paleontology: Long-term gender trends in an earth-science discipline. GSA Today 24(11): 44–45. Link

Stigall, A. 2013. Women in paleontology: Where are they? Priscum 20(1): 1–3. Link

Selected outreach websites by Alycia Stigall

Stigall, A.L. 2013–present. Atlas of Ordovician Life: Exploring the fauna of the Cincinnati Region. Link

Stigall, A.L. 2016–present. IGCP 653: Onset of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. Link

Further reading

Newitz, A. 2013. How do you have a mass extinction without an increase in extinctions? The Atlantic, 13 June 2013. Link

Shillcock, G. 2019. Unearthing history: Studying fossils to learn about the past and present. The Post (Athens, Ohio), 7 March 2019. Link

Sohn, E. 2018. Meet the supervisors who helped shape four scientists’ careers. Nature 564: 151–152. Link

Wikipedia: Alycia Stigall. Link

Video & audio content

Ohio University Science Café: “Fossil Invasion! Studying ancient species to help predict consequences of modern invasive species.” Presentation by Alycia Stigall, 6 November 2013, via YouTube. Link

Dry Dredgers Science Lecture: “Tracking species through space and time: How species invasion contributed to the Late Devonian Biodiversity Crisis.” Presentation by Alycia Stigall, 2008, via YouTube. Link