scholarly journals The Role of Temporal Abundance Structure and Habitat Preferences in the Survival of Conodonts during the Mid-Early Silurian Ireviken Mass Extinction Event

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. e0124146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrej Spiridonov ◽  
Antanas Brazauskas ◽  
Sigitas Radzevičius

Humans are able to sustain neither industrial civilization nor our species, Homo sapiens. Whereas many pre-civilized groups practiced sustainability, contemporary industrial civilization is not sustainable. Indeed, global industrial civilization underlies abrupt, irreversible climate change and also the ongoing Mass Extinction Event. We continue to overheat Earth, which is already at the highest global-average temperature with our species present. The rapidity of environmental change is increasing and will continue to accelerate with either increased industrial activity or, paradoxically, diminished industrial activity. This paper offers a path forward for all of us, and especially those who wish to educate others, in light of these daunting facts. If our species is destined for extinction, as all species are, then how shall we proceed? If our species is destined for extinction in the near term, as seems apparent, then how shall we proceed? What is the role of educators in the face of an existential threat?


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Larina ◽  
◽  
David J. Bottjer ◽  
Frank A. Corsetti ◽  
William M. Berelson ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa D. Knight ◽  
◽  
Runsheng Yin ◽  
Clara L. Meier ◽  
James V. Browning ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (18) ◽  
pp. 5036-5040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manabu Sakamoto ◽  
Michael J. Benton ◽  
Chris Venditti

Whether dinosaurs were in a long-term decline or whether they were reigning strong right up to their final disappearance at the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event 66 Mya has been debated for decades with no clear resolution. The dispute has continued unresolved because of a lack of statistical rigor and appropriate evolutionary framework. Here, for the first time to our knowledge, we apply a Bayesian phylogenetic approach to model the evolutionary dynamics of speciation and extinction through time in Mesozoic dinosaurs, properly taking account of previously ignored statistical violations. We find overwhelming support for a long-term decline across all dinosaurs and within all three dinosaurian subclades (Ornithischia, Sauropodomorpha, and Theropoda), where speciation rate slowed down through time and was ultimately exceeded by extinction rate tens of millions of years before the K-Pg boundary. The only exceptions to this general pattern are the morphologically specialized herbivores, the Hadrosauriformes and Ceratopsidae, which show rapid species proliferations throughout the Late Cretaceous instead. Our results highlight that, despite some heterogeneity in speciation dynamics, dinosaurs showed a marked reduction in their ability to replace extinct species with new ones, making them vulnerable to extinction and unable to respond quickly to and recover from the final catastrophic event.


Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Ignacio Arenillas ◽  
Vicente Gilabert ◽  
José A. Arz

After the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary (KPB) catastrophic mass extinction event, an explosive evolutionary radiation of planktic foraminifera took place in consequence of the prompt occupation of empty niches. The rapid evolution of new species makes it possible to establish high-resolution biozonations in the lower Danian. We propose two biostratigraphic scales for low-to-middle latitudes spanning the first two million years of the Danian. The first is based on qualitative data and includes four biozones: the Guembelitria cretacea Zone (Dan1), the Parvularugoglobigerina longiapertura Zone (Dan2), the Parvularugoglobigerina eugubina Zone (Dan3), and the Parasubbotina pseudobulloides Zone (Dan4). The latter two are divided into several sub-biozones: the Parvularugoglobigerina sabina Subzone (Dan3a) and the Eoglobigerina simplicissima Subzone (Dan3b) for the Pv. eugubina Zone, and the Praemurica taurica Subzone (Dan4a), the Subbotina triloculinoides Subzone (Dan4b), and the Globanomalina compressa Subzone (Dan4c) for the P. pseudobulloides Zone. The second scale is based on quantitative data and includes three acme-zones (abundance zones): the Guembelitria Acme-zone (DanAZ1), the Parvularugoglobigerina-Palaeoglobigerina Acme-zone (DanAZ2), and the Woodringina-Chiloguembelina Acme-zone (DanAZ3). Both biozonations are based on high-resolution samplings of the most continuous sections of the lower Danian worldwide and have been calibrated with recent magnetochronological and astrochronological dating.


2018 ◽  
Vol 230 ◽  
pp. 17-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Witts ◽  
Robert J. Newton ◽  
Benjamin J.W. Mills ◽  
Paul B. Wignall ◽  
Simon H. Bottrell ◽  
...  

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