Diversity trends in the establishment of terrestrial vertebrate ecosystems: Interactions between spatial and temporal sampling biases

Abstract

Research Article| January 01, 2013 Diversity trends in the establishment of terrestrial vertebrate ecosystems: Interactions between spatial and temporal sampling biases Roger B.J. Benson; Roger B.J. Benson * 1Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK *E-mail: rbb27@cam.ac.uk. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Paul Upchurch Paul Upchurch 1Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2013) 41 (1): 43–46. https://doi.org/10.1130/G33543.1 Article history received: 19 Apr 2012 rev-recd: 04 Jul 2012 accepted: 05 Jul 2012 first online: 09 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 Roger B.J. Benson, Paul Upchurch; Diversity trends in the establishment of terrestrial vertebrate ecosystems: Interactions between spatial and temporal sampling biases. Geology 2013;; 41 (1): 43–46. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G33543.1 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 Analyses of how fossil record sampling influences detection of past biodiversity change, and geographic patterns of animal diversity, are central to understanding macroevolution, deep time macroecology, and interactions between the rock and fossil records. The diversification and establishment of complex trophic structure among terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods) and three hypothesized mass extinctions occurred in the Permian (299.0–252.3 Ma), during a predominantly icehouse global climate regime. Prominent, short-lived features of Permian species diversity curves, such as a possible end-Guadalupian mass extinction, are robust to sampling biases. However, multivariate and time series approaches show that longer term trends in the accumulation of terrestrial biodiversity are more sensitive. Olson’s extinction, believed to have occurred at the end of the Early Permian, might be an artifact of the abrupt geographic shift from predominant sampling of Lower Permian, amphibian-rich, paleotropical everwet biome in North America, to more tetrapod-depauperate Middle–Late Permian, cool paleotemperate biomes in Russia and South America. Thus, geographic heterogeneity in fossil record sampling, superimposed on a prominent, icehouse latitudinal biodiversity gradient, might have created an artifactual macroevolutionary event. This apparent event remains even after correcting data for uneven temporal sampling. Thus, a complex interplay between spatial and temporal biodiversity trends, and geographic and temporal sampling factors, is responsible for generating observed past biodiversity patterns. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.