Biological and Ecological Information from Physical and Chemical Properties of Skeletal Carbonates: ABSTRACT

Abstract

Progress has been made in relating physical and chemical properties of carbonate skeletons to physiologic and ecologic factors in Recent marine organisms. Data are accumulating which show that the skeletal mineralogy and its chemistry may change significantly in an individual during growth. Discrete microarchitectural units of individual skeletons may differ widely in mineralogy and chemistry because of differences in the biochemistry of the tissues which deposit them. Investigations of shell regeneration show that the mineral species of the skeletal-repair carbonate is the same as that in normal growth, but there are differences in trace element concentrations. These data emphasize the need for differentiating the various physiological effects on skeletal carbonate deposition within and between species. A number of ecologic factors are known also to affect the morphology, mineralogy, and chemistry of skeletal carbonates in many species. Consideration is given to the current status of our knowledge of the specific effects of each individual ecologic factor and of distinguishing these from physiologically controlled effects. Application of these approaches to paleoecological investigations requires criteria for distinguishing diagenetic changes, possible evolutionary changes in mineralogy and chemistry, and physiologically and ecologically controlled effects. End_of_Article - Last_Page 348------------