The history of Devonian-Carboniferous reef communities: Extinctions, effects, recovery

Abstract

Analysis of the taxonomic composition, diversity and guild structure of five “typical” reef and mud mound communities ranging in age from Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous indicates that each of these aspects of community organization changed dramatically in relation to three extinction events. These events include a major or mass extinction at the end of the Frasnian; reef communities were also effected by less drastic end-Givetian and mid-late Famennian extinctions of reef-building higher taxa.