Conodont diversity across the late Eifelian Kačák Episode of the southern Alpine realm (central Carnic Alps, Austria/Italy)

Abstract

The polyphased Kačák Episode near the Eifelian-Givetian boundary (Middle Devonian), well documented globally, resembles other global biotic extinction events driven by climate change. High-resolution conodont biodiversity patterns from shallow marine, slope and pelagic bathymetric settings within the same basin from the Carnic Alps show that while conodonts experienced diversification during the latest Eifelian ensensis Biozone, assemblages suffered extinction during the early Givetian hemiansatus Biozone. Although a similar general pattern is observed in different bathymetric settings there is a changed taxonomic composition of conodont assemblages across the stage boundary. Based on microfacies analysis this change is contemporaneous with changes in palaeoenvironmental conditions in the earliest Givetian.