Palaeoecology of the late Permian mass extinction and subsequent recovery ...

• Main Author: Foster, William J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Plymouth University 2015
• Subjects: Extinction; Recovery; Benthic invertebrates; Anoxia; PhD; Svalbard
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.24382/4485; https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/5467

Climate warming during the latest Permian is associated with the most severe mass extinction event of the Phanerozoic, and the expansion of hypoxic and anoxic conditions into shallow shelf settings. Our understanding of the magnitude, pattern and duration of the extinction event and subsequent recovery remains equivocal. Evidence suggests that the action of waves provided an oxygenated refuge, i.e. ‘habitable zone’, above wave base that may be limited to high latitudes, in association with a faster pace of recovery. In addition, advanced recovery faunas have been documented from the Induan and there is evidence from the pelagic realm that further biotic crises may have delayed the recovery of benthic organisms coinciding with large carbon isotope perturbations at the Lower Triassic sub-stage boundaries. To test these hypotheses, novel palaeoecological data was collected from localities in Hungary, northern Italy, and Svalbard. To understand better the ecological impact of the extinction, a database of all ...