Mass extinctions in the fossil record of late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic tetrapods

Abstract

The fossil record of tetrapods is very patchy because of the problems of preservation in terrestrial sediments, and because vertebrates are rarely very abundant. However, the fossil record of tetrapods has the advantages that it is easier to establish a phylogenetic taxonomy than for many invertebrate groups (many characters; ‘fast’ evolution), and there is the potential for more detailed ecological analyses (greater knowledge of modern tetrapod ecology).