Population structure of the oldest known macroscopic communities from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland
The presumed affinities of the Terminal Neoproterozoic Ediacara biota have been much debated. However, even in the absence of concrete evidence for phylogenetic affinity, numerical paleoecological approaches can be effectively used to make inferences about organismal biology, the nature of biotic in...
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crcambridgeupr:10.1666/12051 2024-09-09T19:53:33+00:00 Population structure of the oldest known macroscopic communities from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland Darroch, Simon A. F. Laflamme, Marc Clapham, Matthew E. 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/12051 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0094837300001445 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Paleobiology volume 39, issue 4, page 591-608 ISSN 0094-8373 1938-5331 journal-article 2013 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1666/12051 2024-08-07T04:04:36Z The presumed affinities of the Terminal Neoproterozoic Ediacara biota have been much debated. However, even in the absence of concrete evidence for phylogenetic affinity, numerical paleoecological approaches can be effectively used to make inferences about organismal biology, the nature of biotic interactions, and life history. Here, we examine the population structure of three Ediacaran rangeomorph taxa ( Fractofusus, Beothukis, and Pectinifrons ), and one non-rangeomorph taxon ( Thectardis ) across five fossil surfaces around the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, through analysis of size-frequency distributions using Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Best-supported models resolve communities of all studied Ediacaran taxa at Mistaken Point as single cohorts with wide variance. This result is best explained in terms of a “continuous reproduction” model, whereby Ediacaran organisms reproduce aseasonally, so that multiple size modes are absent from preserved communities. Modern benthic invertebrates (both as a whole and within specific taxonomic groups) in deeper-water settings reproduce both seasonally and aseasonally; distinguishing between biological (i.e., continuous reproductive strategies) and environmental (lack of a seasonal trigger) causes for this pattern is therefore difficult. However, we hypothesize that the observed population structure could reflect the lack of a trigger for reproduction in deepwater settings (i.e., seasonal flux of organic matter), until the explosive appearance of mesozooplankton near the base of the Cambrian. Article in Journal/Newspaper Newfoundland Cambridge University Press Mistaken Point ENVELOPE(-55.774,-55.774,53.478,53.478) Paleobiology 39 4 591 608 |
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Cambridge University Press |
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language |
English |
description |
The presumed affinities of the Terminal Neoproterozoic Ediacara biota have been much debated. However, even in the absence of concrete evidence for phylogenetic affinity, numerical paleoecological approaches can be effectively used to make inferences about organismal biology, the nature of biotic interactions, and life history. Here, we examine the population structure of three Ediacaran rangeomorph taxa ( Fractofusus, Beothukis, and Pectinifrons ), and one non-rangeomorph taxon ( Thectardis ) across five fossil surfaces around the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, through analysis of size-frequency distributions using Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Best-supported models resolve communities of all studied Ediacaran taxa at Mistaken Point as single cohorts with wide variance. This result is best explained in terms of a “continuous reproduction” model, whereby Ediacaran organisms reproduce aseasonally, so that multiple size modes are absent from preserved communities. Modern benthic invertebrates (both as a whole and within specific taxonomic groups) in deeper-water settings reproduce both seasonally and aseasonally; distinguishing between biological (i.e., continuous reproductive strategies) and environmental (lack of a seasonal trigger) causes for this pattern is therefore difficult. However, we hypothesize that the observed population structure could reflect the lack of a trigger for reproduction in deepwater settings (i.e., seasonal flux of organic matter), until the explosive appearance of mesozooplankton near the base of the Cambrian. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Darroch, Simon A. F. Laflamme, Marc Clapham, Matthew E. |
spellingShingle |
Darroch, Simon A. F. Laflamme, Marc Clapham, Matthew E. Population structure of the oldest known macroscopic communities from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland |
author_facet |
Darroch, Simon A. F. Laflamme, Marc Clapham, Matthew E. |
author_sort |
Darroch, Simon A. F. |
title |
Population structure of the oldest known macroscopic communities from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland |
title_short |
Population structure of the oldest known macroscopic communities from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland |
title_full |
Population structure of the oldest known macroscopic communities from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland |
title_fullStr |
Population structure of the oldest known macroscopic communities from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Population structure of the oldest known macroscopic communities from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland |
title_sort |
population structure of the oldest known macroscopic communities from mistaken point, newfoundland |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/12051 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0094837300001445 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-55.774,-55.774,53.478,53.478) |
geographic |
Mistaken Point |
geographic_facet |
Mistaken Point |
genre |
Newfoundland |
genre_facet |
Newfoundland |
op_source |
Paleobiology volume 39, issue 4, page 591-608 ISSN 0094-8373 1938-5331 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1666/12051 |
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Paleobiology |
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39 |
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4 |
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591 |
op_container_end_page |
608 |
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1809923029733474304 |