Decoupling of taxonomic and ecologic severity of Phanerozoic marine mass extinctions

Abstract

Research Article| August 01, 2000 Decoupling of taxonomic and ecologic severity of Phanerozoic marine mass extinctions Mary L. Droser; Mary L. Droser 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar David J. Bottjer; David J. Bottjer 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0740, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Peter M. Sheehan; Peter M. Sheehan 3Department of Geology, Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 West Wells Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar George R. McGhee, Jr George R. McGhee, Jr 4Department of Geological Sciences, Wright-Rieman Geological Laboratories, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2000) 28 (8): 675–678. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<675:DOTAES>2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 14 Feb 2000 rev-recd: 01 May 2000 accepted: 08 May 2000 first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Mary L. Droser, David J. Bottjer, Peter M. Sheehan, George R. McGhee; Decoupling of taxonomic and ecologic severity of Phanerozoic marine mass extinctions. Geology 2000;; 28 (8): 675–678. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<675:DOTAES>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 SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract There have been five major mass extinctions among the marine biota during the ∼0.6 b.y. history of metazoan life on Earth. These mass extinctions have been ranked from the largest to the smallest by the severity of taxonomic diversity losses, but they have not been ranked by the severity of the ecologic changes that they produced. Here we utilize a system of paleoecological levels that allows for the ranking of ecological degradation or shifts associated with significant taxonomic events, along with an analysis of large-scale paleoenvironmental patterns of two of the great evolutionary faunas, to compare the relative ecologic degradation caused by two major mass extinctions. The Late Ordovician and Late Devonian mass extinctions produced similar taxonomic losses (marine families declined ∼22% and 21%, respectively). However, our analyses show that whereas the Late Ordovician extinction resulted in only minimal permanent ecological change, the Late Devonian extinction resulted in the complete restructuring of many components of the marine ecosystem. Thus, the large-scale taxonomic and ecological significance of these extinction events are decoupled, implying that some taxa are ecologically more critical than others. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.