Development of marine biota in the Paleozoic in response to abiotic factors

Abstract

An analysis of the biota development in response to the changing abiotic factors shows that long relatively stable periods of transgression, high-energy hydrodynamics, and diverse ecological niches are favorable for a growth of biodiversity and the abundance of organisms. Biota reduction is determined by sharp environmental changes, particularly by multiple alteration of opposite development trends (transgression-regression, warming-cooling, and others). In addition, events harmful for the development of organisms such as global anoxia in the oceans, powerful eruptions of trap basalts and volcanism, and collision of the earth with extraterrestrial bodies negatively influence the biota evolution. The impact of different factors is particularly notable during biotic crises. The abiotic factors influencing the biota development are determined by three fundamental causes: terrestrial, orbital, and extraterrestrial. Frequently, these causes and relevant factors were synchronous or almost synchronous in terms of geological time. Inasmuch as there is no cause-effect relationship between them, we can assume that large-scale environmental changes are determined by general extraterrestrial factors originating beyond the solar system.