Plate Tectonics and Global Dynamics of Biodiversity

Abstract

The article analyses the relationship between tectonic plate movements and global biodiversity dynamics. A new tectonic hypothesis of the causes of mass extinctions of biological species, which have repeatedly occurred in the history of the biosphere, is considered. It is proposed that the triggering mechanism for such extinctions is the periodic unification of lithospheric plates, leading to the formation of supercontinents and, consequently, to a decrease in the geographical isolation of species, increased interspecific competition, climate change, a decrease in the shelf area, changes in global sea level, and other determinants of biodiversity. The separation of lithospheric plates increases the degree of geographic isolation and, conversely, causes a new burst of species diversity that is greater than the previous one, as it engages the species best suited to the changing environment and wins the competition. The tectonic factor (geodynamics) thus becomes an important factor in the dynamics of biodiversity and evolution in general. Similarly, the dynamics of biodiversity are affected by contemporary processes of globalization: the human-accelerated reduction of habitats for native species, the removal of the factor of geographic isolation due to introduction, and increasing invasions are also leading to another mass extinction.