Prague meeting IGCP 735: Rocks and the Rise of Ordovician Life – Filling knowledge gaps in the Early Palaeozoic Biodiversification

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic and a city literally built on Ordovician rocks, hosted the 3rd virtual meeting of the IGCP 735 (International Geoscience Programme, UNESCO, 2021–2026) from November 18th to 20th, 2024. This programme, entitled “Rocks and the Rise of Ordovician Life – Filling Knowledge Gaps in the Early Palaeozoic Biodiversification” focuses on one of the most transformative intervals in Earth’s history, which include pivotal evolutionary events such as the Cambrian Explosion and the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE), alongside major climatic shifts that profoundly impacted the biosphere. The geological record of this period provides a unique opportunity to document past environmental changes and offers essential insights into our future.