An Assessment of Morphological Fidelity in the Sub-fossil Record of a Terebratulide Brachiopod

Abstract

Other| October 01, 2004 An Assessment of Morphological Fidelity in the Sub-fossil Record of a Terebratulide Brachiopod RICHARD A. KRAUSE, JR. RICHARD A. KRAUSE, JR. 1Department of Geosciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, rkrause@vt.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information RICHARD A. KRAUSE, JR. 1Department of Geosciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, rkrause@vt.edu Publisher: SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology Accepted: 18 Mar 2004 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1938-5323 Print ISSN: 0883-1351 Society for Sedimentary Geology PALAIOS (2004) 19 (5): 460–476. https://doi.org/10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0460:AAOMFI>2.0.CO;2 Article history Accepted: 18 Mar 2004 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation RICHARD A. KRAUSE; An Assessment of Morphological Fidelity in the Sub-fossil Record of a Terebratulide Brachiopod. PALAIOS 2004;; 19 (5): 460–476. doi: https://doi.org/10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0460:AAOMFI>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyPALAIOS Search Advanced Search Abstract The process of time-averaging can have deleterious effects on the recognition of morphological variability in the fossil record. To explore this issue, a geometric morphometric study was conducted on a life and death assemblage of the terebratulide brachiopod Terebratalia transversa. The results from several geometric morphometric techniques (including Procrustes analysis and thin-plate spline) confirm a high degree of morphological variability with little change in mean shape between the living and sub-fossil assemblages. Additionally, there is no evidence of distinct morphogroups in either assemblage, as postulated for the species in previous studies. These trends persist at all depths and size classes. The similar range of morphological variability at each site suggests a common causal factor such as a similar array of microenvironments available at all depths. One implication of this consistency in morphological variability between the living and sub-fossil assemblages is that the variability of a fossil assemblage of this species could be used to estimate single-generation variability during the time-averaged interval. Furthermore, the potential for recognizing the full range of shape variability in the sub-fossil record of a highly variable species is encouraging for the pursuit of species recognition in the fossil record. Very good fidelity of the sub-fossil assemblage with respect to morphological variability is documented here for the first time in brachiopods, and agrees well with the findings of similar studies of other taxa. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.