1. Extinction and dawn of the modern world in the Carnian (Late Triassic)
- Author
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Michael J. Benton, Sönke Hohn, Haijun Song, Alastair Ruffell, Andrea Marzoli, Piero Gianolla, Alexander R. Schmidt, Agostino Merico, Leyla J. Seyfullah, Guido Roghi, Paul B. Wignall, Jacopo Dal Corso, Evelyn Kustatscher, Yadong Sun, Robert J. Newton, Massimo Bernardi, and Nereo Preto
- Subjects
010506 paleontology ,Reviews ,Review ,Carnian Pluvial Episode (Late Triassic) ,scleractinian reefs ,010502 geochemistry & geophysics ,01 natural sciences ,Carnian Pluvial Episode ,PE10_12 ,Triassic, Carnian Pluvial Episode, mass extinction ,Radiation, Extinction, Large Igneous Province, Triassic, Carnian Pluvial Episode ,Ecosystem ,SDG 14 - Life Below Water ,14. Life underwater ,Reef ,SDG 15 - Life on Land ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Extinction event ,Radiation ,Multidisciplinary ,Extinction ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,Paleontology ,Ambientale ,Geology ,PE10_6 ,15. Life on land ,Triassic ,Geography ,13. Climate action ,Pluvial ,Terrestrial ecosystem ,Species richness ,SciAdv reviews ,mass extinction ,Large Igneous Province - Abstract
The roots of modern-style ecosystems go back to the Carnian (ca. 233 Ma), a time of global climate change and extinction., The Carnian Pluvial Episode (Late Triassic) was a time of global environmental changes and possibly substantial coeval volcanism. The extent of the biological turnover in marine and terrestrial ecosystems is not well understood. Here, we present a meta-analysis of fossil data that suggests a substantial reduction in generic and species richness and the disappearance of 33% of marine genera. This crisis triggered major radiations. In the sea, the rise of the first scleractinian reefs and rock-forming calcareous nannofossils points to substantial changes in ocean chemistry. On land, there were major diversifications and originations of conifers, insects, dinosaurs, crocodiles, lizards, turtles, and mammals. Although there is uncertainty on the precise age of some of the recorded biological changes, these observations indicate that the Carnian Pluvial Episode was linked to a major extinction event and might have been the trigger of the spectacular radiation of many key groups that dominate modern ecosystems.
- Published
- 2020
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