Limitations of molecular dating using constant birth-death rate priors in deep time reflected in Brachiopoda evolution.

Costal aspiration breathing was an evolutionary innovation that wasfundamental to the conquest of the terrestrial realm by amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds and their common ancestor)1-5. Extant amniotes use an integrated thoracic skeleton for costal-muscle-generated inhalation and exhalation, differing substantially from their anamniote relatives, which possess more passive cutaneous and buccal pumping forms of ventilation. This difference extends into the Palaeozoic era, but the evolutionary transformation between these modes of breathing is undocumented and largely unclear6-10 in the absence of soft tissue fossils. Here we present the mummified early Permian reptile Captorhinus, which includes a covering of three-dimensional skin, native protein remnants and a complete shoulder girdle and ribcage with preserved cartilages. These are the oldest-known preserved cartilages and protein remnants in a terrestrial vertebrate. High-resolution neutron computed tomography and histology data reveal previously undescribed structures, including the cartilaginous sternum, sternal ribs, rib extensions and epicoracoids. Our skeletal reconstruction of this ancient reptile reveals the precise relationships between the ribcage and the shoulder girdle, and their pivotal role in the evolution of terrestrial breathing and locomotor regimes11,12. This finding substantially changes expectations of soft tissue preservation in deep time to reveal the potential ancestral amniote breathing mechanism and its impact on terrestrial vertebrate evolution.

This paper describes V.A. Rusanov’s expeditions to Novaya Zemlya in 1907–1912. The objectives of the expeditions included studying the coastline, the Northern Sea Route, searching for minerals, and ex-ploring the possibility of organizing fishing. V.A. Rusanov travelled on foot along the shores of Matochkin Shar, Mashigin Bay, and Southern and Northern Sulmenovaya Bay. For the first time, a walking route was completed along Krestovaya Bay in the northern part of Novaya Zemlya. The scientist described the rocks of the Silurian, Devonian, Permian, Carboniferous, and Jurassic periods with paleontological justification. As a result of his research, V.A. Rusanov suggested that in the Silurian period, there was a deep-water sea in the place of Novaya Zemlya. The similarity between the Devonian fauna of Novaya Zemlya and the fauna of Timan allowed him to establish a close connection between the North and European seas. According to V.A. Rusanov, mountain formation occurred at the end of the Palaeozoic era. While studying cephalopods, V.A. Rusanov discovered a new species, Karoceras. He discovered fossil ice in Krestovaya Bay, in the Eastern Valley at Cape Krestovoy. This led to the conclusion that there had been several stages of glaciation. As a result of the expeditions, the main minerals (peat, coal, pyrite, copper ore, galena, ochre) were discovered. The geographical outcome of V.A. Rusanov’s expeditions was the naming of 32 objects.

The Brachiopoda were one of the most successful groups of marine invertebrates during the Palaeozoic Era, exhibiting exceptional diversity and abundance. Linguloid brachiopods (superfamily Linguloidea), initially characterized by an epibenthic mode of life in the Cambrian, underwent substantial diversification during the Ordovician, including the emergence of infaunal forms. This interval marks the peak of their morphospace occupation and ecological diversification. To gain a deeper understanding of the ecological evolution of linguloid brachiopods, a comprehensive investigation of their morphological and anatomical evolution is essential. Here, we report a linguloid brachiopod species from the Upper Ordovician (Sandbian) Pingliang Formation at the Xilinggou section, southern Ordos Basin, North China Platform. Using geometric morphometrics, morphospace occupation was visualized for this species and Anomaloglossa porca, the latter of which was the most recently documented linguloid brachiopod in this section. Results indicate that the two species occupy different areas of morphospace, and the new linguloid brachiopod is assigned to Pseudolingula quadrata, which represents the first report of Pseudolingulidae from the North China Platform. Pseudolingula quadrata exhibits a clearly defined visceral area and preserves complete impressions of the musculature and mantle canal system. The absence of dorsal vascula media within the mantle canals indicates a close similarity to extant infaunal taxa. Based on geometric morphometric analysis and anatomical examination of linguloid brachiopods from the Cambrian to the present, our results not only reinforce the establishment of Pseudolingulidae at the family level, but also demonstrate significant modifications in shell shape and mantle canals that indicate their transition from an epifaunal to an infaunal lifestyle, providing critical insights into their evolutionary trajectory and ecological evolution.

Abstract The Álamo Complex, part of the Galician–Castilian Lineament within the Central Iberian Zone, lies between the Ollo de Sapo Domain and the Schist–Greywacke Complex. It comprises six tectonometamorphic sectors dominated by psammitic–pelitic metasediments (MTS), gneisses, migmatites, leucogranites and tourmaline-rich rocks. Zircon U–Pb dating identifies three Ediacaran partial melting events (∼628, 584 and 549 Ma) that occurred under high-pressure conditions within the kyanite stability field. These contrast with a low-pressure Variscan partial melting episode (∼310–315 Ma). Orthogneisses and leucogranites dated at ∼482–465 Ma record Cambro–Ordovician magmatism, characterized by abundant inherited Ediacaran zircon cores, indicating significant crustal recycling. Petrographic and geochemical similarities, together with shared zircon inheritance patterns, link the Álamo Complex with the Ollo de Sapo Domain and other segments of the Galician–Castilian Lineament, suggesting a common magmatic evolution. Tourmaline-rich rocks likely formed by boron metasomatism initiated during the Ediacaran and enhanced by recurrent partial melting. Variscan magmatism is represented by intrusive mafic and granitic bodies (∼307–311 Ma) and tourmaline-bearing leucogranites, reflecting continued reworking of Ediacaran crust into the Late Palaeozoic. These results shed light on the crustal evolution of Central Iberia.

Abstract The metamorphic architecture of the Variscan basement in the Tatra Mountains provides evidence for nappe tectonics during Variscan continental collision in the Late Palaeozoic. We reconstruct the metamorphic history of the lower unit using phase equilibrium modelling, zirconium-in-rutile geothermometry and in situ LA-ICP-MS Th–U–Pb monazite geochronology of metapelites. We also present new U–Pb zircon ages from upper unit granitoids. In the lower unit, the peak assemblage in staurolite-kyanite schists is garnet + muscovite + biotite + staurolite + kyanite + plagioclase + rutile + quartz. Structurally higher, a kyanite-fibrolite zone is marked by loss of staurolite and abundant kyanite, commonly replaced by fibrolitic sillimanite. P–T conditions increase from 600–640°C and 6–8 kbar in the staurolite–kyanite zone to 640–655°C and 6.5–8.5 kbar in the kyanite–fibrolite zone. Monazite ages show downward younging from 342–332 Ma in the kyanite–fibrolite zone to 338–315 Ma in the underlying staurolite–kyanite zone, revealing a temporally and structurally inverted metamorphic sequence. These ages are younger than zircon ages in upper unit granitoids (353–346 Ma), indicating prograde metamorphism in the lower unit overlapped with late granitoid intrusion above. The inverted metamorphic sequence and spatially decoupled thermal histories of the upper and lower units suggest that nappe stacking played a dual role: accommodating crustal shortening and driving crustal re-equilibration through partial melting and melt migration. These processes are critical for the long-term rheological evolution of orogenic belts and for understanding the coupling between deformation, metamorphism and plutonism in thickened continental crust.

Background: OEIS Complex is a rare form of ventral body wall defect affecting 1 in 200,000–400,000 pregnancies and consists of a cluster of multiple congenital anomalies such as omphalocele, exstrophy of cloaca/bladder, imperforate anus, and spinal defects. It results from the defect of mesodermal migration during the primitive streak period leading to failure of ventral body wall closure. Aims and Objectives: In the present study, we aimed to study autopsy findings of cases, exhibiting varying spectrum of OEIS complex. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on cases of foetal autopsies, referred from the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, to the department of Anatomy. Anthropometric measurements were done to assess the gestational age. The foetuses were then examined and dissected for findings related to OEIS complex. Results: On autopsy, three cases were observed with OEIS complex with cloacal exstrophy while one case with bladder exstrophy. All the cases of OEIS were associated with undifferentiated gonads and the absence of external genitalia. The other defects observed were great toe brachymetatarsia, serinomelia, and diaphragmatic defect. Conclusion: The fetal autopsy delineating detailed knowledge of all the OEIS components and associated other congenital defects can play a significant role in better understanding of the defect in diagnosis, prognosis evaluation, and management.

The Tarim Basin is currently the largest petroliferous basin in China, with hydrocarbons primarily hosted in Ordovician marine carbonate paleokarst fracture–vug reservoirs—a typical example being the Tahe Oilfield located in the northern structural uplift of the basin. The principle of “the present is the key to the past” serves as a core method for studying paleokarst fracture–vug reservoirs in the Tahe Oilfield. The deep and ultra-deep carbonate fracture–vug reservoirs in the Tahe Oilfield formed under humid tropical to subtropical paleoclimates during the Paleozoic Era, belonging to a humid tropical–subtropical paleoepikarst dynamic system. Modern karst types in China are diverse, providing abundant modern karst analogs for paleokarst research in the Tarim Basin. Carbonate regions in Eastern China can be divided into two major zones from north to south: the arid to semiarid north karst and the humid tropical–subtropical south karst. Karst in Northern China is characterized by large karst spring systems, with fissure–conduit networks as the primary aquifers; in contrast, karst in Southern China features underground river networks dominated by conduits and caves. From the perspective of karst hydrodynamic conditions, the paleokarst environment of deep fracture–vug reservoirs in the Tarim Basin exhibits high similarity to the modern karst environment in Southern China. The development patterns of karst underground rivers and caves in Southern China can be applied to comparative studies of carbonate fracture–vug reservoir structures in the Tarim Basin. Research on modern and paleokarst systems complements and advances each other, jointly promoting the development of karstology from different perspectives.

ABSTRACT The macrofossil record of the lower Palaeozoic Stavelot-Venn Inlier is revised. This inlier is the largest of the four inliers of the Ardenne Allochthon in southern Belgium and northern France, and it extends from southeastern Belgium into western Germany. The thick succession of mostly siliciclastic rocks has been traditionally assigned to the lower Cambrian to Middle Ordovician, but macrofossils are extremely rare and the microfossil (acritarch) records need revision. The presence of the ichnogenus Oldhamia indicates an early/middle Cambrian age for the lower (but not lowest) part of the succession. The graptolites from the Rhabdinopora fauna clearly point out the presence of the Tremadocian (Lower Ordovician) strata; they are locally associated with small linguliformean brachiopods (e.g., Broeggeria , Lingulella ). The present revision, based on examination of the Belgian material, indicates that none of the trilobite, phyllocarid and sponge records in the literature can be confirmed. From all macrofossils mentioned in the literature, only few linguliformean brachiopod levels can be confirmed in the (? middle–upper) Cambrian and in the Lower Ordovician. The alleged bivalve from the Cambrian of the French part of the Rocroi Inlier is reillustrated.

ABSTRACT Preserved allocyclic signatures in the rock record often reflect basin‐scale climatic variability and serve as key proxies for correlating ancient dryland successions. The notion of climate cyclicity, however, remains largely untested on regionally constrained, outcrop‐calibrated studies. The Cutler Group (Paradox Basin, southeast Utah) captures a diverse range of dryland fluvio‐aeolian, lacustrine, and paralic environments deposited along the western sub‐equatorial margin of Pangaea during the Late Palaeozoic. This investigation integrates outcrop and subsurface datasets to refine a sedimentological scheme and produce a regional allocyclic framework for the Cutler Group, providing new insight into the tempo‐spatial evolution of dryland successions. Aligned with modern analogues, twelve mappable depositional environments are described. Six low‐frequency, regionally correlatable cycles are grouped into three broader climatic intervals, each characterised by alternating wet (humid) and dry (arid) maxima, informing the development of detailed palaeogeographical maps. Restricted paralic deposition dominated the Paradox Basin at the beginning of the Permian. During Climatic Interval 1, the Toroweap Sea regressed westward, and the Cedar Mesa Sandstone aeolian erg advanced over the study area. Alluvial fans (<55 km long) coalesced into bajadas along the Uncompahgre Uplift, while braided fluvial systems filled halokinetic topography of the Salt Anticline Region. During Climatic Interval 2, a major dryland fluvial system – typically ascribed to the Organ Rock Formation – extended into the basin. In outcrop, this system interacts with aeolian deposits, while subsurface interpretations imply fluvio‐lacustrine interactions towards the Blanding Sub‐basin. At this time, a seaway transgressed from the northwest and a secondary, westerly provenance supplied sediment into the basin. Climatic Interval 3 (mid‐Kungurian) saw renewed aridity, facilitating the regional expansion of the White Rim Sandstone aeolian erg. This study considers climatic forcing as a primary driver in sediment dispersal, and presents the first regional‐scale, subsurface‐integrated palaeogeographical maps of the Paradox Basin during the Early Permian.

Recent microscopy and proteomic studies demonstrate fossil bones can preserve remarkable palimpsests of cellular and soft tissue evolution, yet it remains unclear if there are temporal limits to such preservation. For instance, it remains unknown if fossil cells and soft tissues can be recovered from fossil bones of the earliest vertebrates from the middle Paleozoic. To test this, we demineralized nine bone fragments of Bothriolepis and other Late Devonian fish. Removal of phosphates from the fossils released numerous microstructures morphologically consistent with vertebrate osteocytes, pieces of blood vessels, and sheets of fibrous bone matrix which were frequently found to exhibit elemental chemistry potentially indicative of partial organic composition. These discoveries extend this style of exceptional preservation to aspidin and dentine and predate all prior reports of similar cellular/soft-tissue preservation in fossil bones by nearly 100 million years, indicating that the geologic age of a fossil specimen is a poor predictor of whether or not it will retain potentially-endogenous microstructures. Thus, the preservation pathways leading to these forms of soft-tissue fossilization likely began contemporaneously with the evolution of vascularized cellular bone in the early Paleozoic.

This research paper seeks to examine some of the legendary phenomena in pre-Islamic poetry through some selected models and reveal their artistic aesthetics, by relying on pre-Islamic poetry as it is considered a model of ancient Arabic poetry that preserved its primitiveness and innate nature, which made it a qualified subject for studies related to metology. The study sheds light on the mythological dimensions and symbolic elements in the pre-Islamic poem, which are manifested in natural appearances with anthropological significance (hill, mountain, sun, earth, water...), and animal types with symbolic dimensions (camel, horse, horse, eagle, The snake...) and the religious manifestations that have a place in the thought of the pre-Islamic people and their outlook on life (flying, fortune-telling and fortune-telling, Owl and echo...), and the influence of the environment in maximizing the collective ego of the Arab person in a primitive period of his life. We begin our study by referring to the pillars and foundations of the mythological approach, then clarifying the aesthetics of the mythological dimensions in some selected poetic models of pre-Islamic poets (Al-A’sha, Imru’ Al-Qais, Labid bin Rabi’ah, Tarfa bin Al-Abd...)

Stoneflies represent an ancient lineage of polyneopteran insects, with stem-group representatives appearing as early as the Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian). However, their findings in the Carboniferous are extremely rare, making knowledge of the early phase of their evolution obscure. We report several newly discovered Pennsylvanian stem-stoneflies, described herein as two new genera and species within the newly established family Carbonoperlidae fam. nov. In light of this new material, we discuss the distinction between the stonefly stem and crown groups and offer insights into the diversification process of the stonefly crown group, possibly linked to environmental changes during the Late Palaeozoic. We restrict the ocurrence of the genuine stonefly stem group to the Carboniferous, being limited to the families Gulouidae and Carbonoperlidae. We propose to use the ordinal name Plecoptera for the restricted number of taxa, exhibiting a specialized ra-rp cross-vein, as present in the crown-group. For the stonefly total group, we designate a new unranked taxon, Plecopterida. The palaeolatitudes of Carboniferous stem-group occurrences were always situated in the narrow equatorial belt, whereas the Permian taxa were uniformly distributed at higher palaeolatitudes, a pattern generally followed by the distribution of stoneflies today. This process began with the progressive aridization of the equatorial belt during the Permian, likely favouring the taxa adapted to higher-latitude environmental conditions.

Mirror self-recognition (MSR) is a method to confirm self-awareness in animals. Recently, it has been documented that small cleaner fish (Labroides dimidiatus) identify their mirror reflection as own image via self-face recognition, suggesting fish have mental image of self-face, and have private self-awareness. Thus, existence of self-awareness will not be restricted to animals of large brain and phylogenetically close to humans. This document will be disproof for main evolutionary models of animal self-awareness: e.g. the gradualist view hypothesis (de Waal, 2019), assuming that large brained animals with phylogenetical closeness to humans would have several levels of self-awareness. This hypothesis is likely to be supported by many researchers including Veit (2023). It is suggested, however, that many studies of MSR would potentially conceive false-negative, and the interpretation of results of MSR-tests that used the traditional mark-test in various animals would misled the evolutionary views of self-awareness in vertebrates. I propose “self-awareness homology hypothesis” that self-awareness in vertebrates will go back to ancestral bony fish in Paleozoic era (450 Mya) at latest.

In order to evaluate the oil and gas potential of the junction zone between tectonic structures of the southern part of the Laptev Sea and the Siberian Platform, the pods of active Upper Riphean, Vendian, Permian, Devonian and Upper Jurassic source rocks were identified and studied using numerical modeling methods. The impact of major tectonic shifts that occurred in the region during the second half of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras on the evolution of the source rocks was assessed. It was found that, except for the Upper Jurassic, all of the studied source rocks had passed the critical moment before the completion of major tectonic events in the region, which negatively impacted the formation of the hydrocarbon potential of the study area. As a result, low prospects are anticipated in the continental part of the junction zone, where small deposits are expected in the Vendian strata of the Lena-Anabar trough, given the presence of seals. A significant hydrocarbon potential, warranting further oil and gas exploration studies, is forecasted in the southern part of the Laptev Sea and the adjacent coast within the AnabaroKhatanga saddle. The primary exploration opportunities in this region are linked to Permian and Mesozoic deposits.

The Early Paleozoic radiation of diverse animal life is commonly connected to a well-ventilated global ocean. Yet the oxygenation history of Paleozoic deep oceans remains debated. Using thallium (Tl) isotope ratios in deep-marine mudrocks, we reconstruct the history of deep marine oxygenation from ~485 to 380 million years ago. Thallium isotopes can track bottom water oxygenation indirectly through their sensitivity to seafloor Mn oxide burial. We apply Tl isotopes to a global set of mudrocks, placing a particular focus on the Road River Group of Yukon, Canada. Our data reveal an oscillatory pattern in seawater Tl isotope ratios and, in turn, a dynamic ocean ventilation history. A long-lived deep ocean oxygenation episode is identified between ~405 and 386 million years ago. These short-term dynamics are superimposed on a muted positive ocean oxygenation trend over the entire Early and Middle Paleozoic. Sustained O2 accumulation in global marine bottom waters occurred sometime after ~380 million years ago according to our dataset.

Abstract Under China's “dual carbon” goal, exploring and developing coal measure gas is crucial for advancing the national energy transition. However, coal measure gas exploitation is often accompanied by the production of substantial volumes of formation water with varied compositions. The Carboniferous Permian coal measures in North China formed during the late Paleozoic era and subsequently experienced complex geological processes throughout the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. These geological transformations have resulted in significant regional variations in the structural and hydrogeological characteristics of the North China Craton Basin. Consequently, the hydrogeological conditions governing the coal seams and their surrounding strata are highly complex, necessitating a comprehensive investigation into the water-gas-rock interactions and their spatial variability during basin evolution. Water-gas-rock interactions in coal-bearing formations exert a fundamental control on the hydrogeochemical characteristics of coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs, thereby influencing CBM production. This study investigates the geochemical properties of formation water in five representative CBM reservoirs within the North China Craton Basin. Through systematic analyses of major ions, trace elements, and hydrogen oxygen isotopes in coal measure water samples, this study elucidates the spatial variability of hydrogeochemical characteristics, the underlying water-gas-rock interactions, and their controlling mechanisms. The results show that the coal measure water in these reservoirs is rich in Na+, Cl−, and HCO3−, while the contents of Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO42− are low. Na+ and Cl− mainly come from primary water, NaCl dissolution, cation exchange reaction, and evaporation. HCO3− mainly comes from the dissolution of carbonate minerals. Ca2+ and Mg2+ come from the dissolution of carbonate minerals, silicate weathering, and ion exchange processes. SO42− comes from the oxidation of sulfide minerals. The Linxing and Liulin blocks exhibit groundwater retention and increased mineralization, whereas the Panhe, Shizhuangnan, and Luling blocks display strong groundwater mobility with relatively low mineralization. Isotopic analyses of δD and δ18O indicate that the recharge sources vary across the study sites. The Linxing block is primarily recharged by groundwater, while atmospheric precipitation is the dominant recharge source for the other blocks. Notable isotopic shifts, such as δD drift in the Panhe block and δ18O drift in the Linxing, Liulin, and Shizhuangnan blocks, suggest influences from evaporation, deep-fluid mixing, or reservoir geochemical processes. Additionally, the Luling block exhibits a pronounced evaporation effect along with partial recharge from a sandstone aquifer. The migration and distribution of trace elements, including Li, Rb, Sr, and Ba, further highlight the role of water-rock interactions. Carbonate weathering and dissolution predominantly control water chemistry in the Linxing, Panhe, and Shizhuangnan blocks, while evaporite dissolution and carbonate weathering exert greater influence in the Liulin and Luling blocks. These findings provide critical insights into the hydrogeochemical evolution of CBM reservoirs and offer valuable guidance for optimizing resource exploration and development in the North China Craton Basin. Moreover, they contribute to the advancement of sustainable energy strategies, playing a pivotal role in accelerating China's progress toward carbon neutrality.

ABSTRACT The Late Palaeozoic tectonic evolution of the Qinling Orogen is hotly debated. The Wuguan Complex and Liuling Group, situated near the Shangnan-Danfeng suture zone (SDSZ), provide crucial constraints on this evolutionary history. This study presents petrological, mineral chemical, and geochronological analyses of one garnet amphibolite and two metapelitic schists from the Wuguan Complex, and one metapelitic schist from the Liuling Group, to characterize the nature, type, and age of metamorphism, as well as the metamorphic evolution of these two units. The results indicate that the Wuguan Complex underwent two distinct metamorphic events, whereas the Liuling Group recorded only one. The estimated P – T conditions of the earlier metamorphism in the Wuguan Complex range from 10.1 to 11.0 kbar and 628–658°C for the garnet amphibolite, to 4.4–6.2 kbar and 565–602°C for the metapelitic schists. The later metamorphism recorded by the metapelitic schists from both the Wuguan Complex and the Liuling Group yielded P – T conditions of 6.2–7.9 kbar and 560–617°C. Both metamorphic events belong to the amphibolite facies and exhibit clockwise P – T paths, with corresponding geothermal gradients mainly ranging from ~15–30°C/km, characteristic of Barrovian metamorphism. Hornblendes from the garnet amphibolite yielded a 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of 335.5 ± 1.1 Ma, while muscovites from three metapelitic schist samples yielded plateau ages of 250.4 ± 0.6 Ma, 250.5 ± 0.5 Ma, and 252.8 ± 0.6 Ma, respectively. Combined with previous research, we propose a two-cycle orogenic model for the Qinling orogenic belt during the Late Palaeozoic. The earlier metamorphism occurred at the end of the Early Carboniferous and was related to the continental subduction of the SQT beneath the NQT following the closure of the Palaeo-Qinling Ocean. The subsequent medium-pressure amphibolite-facies metamorphism was likely associated with the initial collision between the SCB and the SQT during the Late Permian.

Polanski's cinema is important in reflecting the values and identity paradigms of the modern period. Since Polanski combines identity experiences with the socio-political, The Tenant (1976), the last film of the Apartment Trilogy, which was shot in the atmosphere of the counterculture movements of the 1960s-1970s, offers to analyze in the context of Freudian unheimliche phenomenology. Unheimlich explains how the alienation humanity experiences in the modern period triggers the fears it brings from the primitive period. For this reason, those who are undefined and in-between, who do not fit the identity paradigms of the modern period - in Kristevaian perspective, those who are abject - are seen as threatening the order and are marginalized. Unheimlich marks the place where ideology operates. In the film, Trelkovsky, as an abject immigrant character torn between religion, ethnicity, gender, and nationality, loses his mental health in Kafkaesque absurdism. Unheimlich was analyzed phenomenologically with three thematic components: otherized identity, the idea of double (doppelgänger), and body-mind division. Polanski has enabled us to read human anxieties and their ideological formation, from individual to social, from primitive to modern, like a palimpsest, the rewritten parchment of history.

The fossil record shows a prominent 60 million-year biodiversity cycle during the Phanerozoic Eon, the origin of which is still unknown. Here we use time-series analysis and correlation of empirical and model datasets of Earth’s interior and surficial processes to demonstrate that this cycle is a pervasive feature in marine animal genus-level diversity data that dominates in the Paleozoic Era. Our results suggest that extinctions are likely the primary driver of this observed cyclicity. We detected a correlatable 60 million-year cyclicity in global tectonics, and in marine 87Sr/86Sr and δ34S isotopes, all of which are dominant in the Paleozoic. We conclude that continental weathering driven by global tectonic degassing and building of continental arcs may have in turn controlled paleo-seawater redox cycling during the Paleozoic when oceans were likely less saturated with respect to oxygen. In particular, we suggest that the 60 million-year fluctuations in biotic diversity are responses of shallow marine habitats to the combined effects of continental weathering and redox cycling, under global tectonic control.