Size and shape variation in the calcareous nannoplankton genusBraarudosphaerafollowing the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) mass extinction: clues as to its evolutionary success

Abstract

AbstractCalcareous nannoplankton have been one of the dominant primary producers in the surface oceans since the late Triassic. The bolide impact at the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary ~66.0 Ma, led to the elimination of >90% of nannoplankton species: the largest extinction event in their evolutionary history. One of the few nannoplankton genera to survive the K/Pg mass extinction and even thrive in its aftermath wasBraarudosphaera, which precipitates pentagonal calcite plates (pentaliths). The onlyBraarudosphaeraspecies to span the K/Pg boundary (B. bigelowii) is extant and has formed geographically and temporally restricted “blooms” throughout geologic time. Four morphologically and genetically distinct cryptic species ofB. bigelowiihave been identified in the modern ocean. However, it is uncertain whether these cryptic species have disparate ecophysiological tolerances that have allowed them to adapt to varying environmental conditions. For the first time, we assess changes in the size and shape ofBraarudosphaerapentaliths following the K/Pg mass extinction at three geographically and environmentally disparate sites that have early PaleoceneBraarudosphaerablooms. Our results show that differentBraarudosphaeramorphotypes were dominant in the Gulf of Mexico compared with the Tethys Ocean, likely due to regional environmental differences. In addition, we provide evidence that the dominantBraarudosphaeramorphotypes shifted in response to changes in upper water column stratification. This ability to rapidly adapt to unstable environments likely helpedBraarudosphaerathrive in the aftermath of the K/Pg extinction and explains why this lineage has enjoyed such a long evolutionary history.