Hierarchical Control of Terrestrial Vertebrate Taphonomy Over Space and Time: Discussion of Mechanisms and Implications for Vertebrate Paleobiology

Abstract

There is no doubt among paleontologists that the fossil record of terrestrial vertebrates is fragmented and unevenly distributed over space and time. The underlying causes of this patchiness derive from a combination of factors occurring before and after the deposition of vertebrate remains. Large-scale vertebrate fossil distribution patterns present challenges in addressing the effects of small-scale taphonomic processes on distribution patterns, and what, if any, effect they may have on biodiversity reconstructions. This chapter presents a hierarchical model connecting small-scale taphonomic processes and large-scale fossil preservation patterns. Factors acting at higher levels in the hierarchy constrain the range of taphonomic processes acting at lower levels, whereas lower level processes are responsible for determining vertebrate preservation and the resulting fossil record for an area. Secular changes in climate, tectonics, sea-level, etc. alter the distribution of both environments and biodiversity over time. These changes in turn may alter the congruence between standing biodiversity and the fraction of that diversity faithfully represented in the fossil record, skewing our understanding of extinct vertebrate ecosystems and their evolution over time.