8 Ecosystem engineering in the fossil record: Early examples from the Cambrian Period

Abstract

This chapter discusses the approaches to and challenges of identifying ecosystem engineering in the fossil record, beginning with paleocommunity reconstruction. The chapter also describes two examples from the Cambrian Period (ca. 542–500 million years ago) that are among the earliest-known instances of ecosystem engineering by metazoans. In modern environments, it is possible to directly observe and document the activities of organisms, the effects of those activities on the distribution of resources, and in turn, the impact of changes in resource supply on the ecosystem as a whole. The Early Cambrian agronomic revolution and development of archaeocyath–calcimicrobial reefs are two of the earliest examples of allogenic and autogenic engineering in the history of life. By expanding benthic ecospace, these instances of engineering had broad ecological and evolutionary effects. The search for ancient ecosystem engineers is in its early stages, but it promises to greatly improve one's understanding of community ecology over broad timescales. Paleoecologists must continue to refine and build upon current strategies for identifying examples of ancient ecosystem engineering in the fossil record.