Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica
Debate continues about the nature of the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) mass extinction event. An abrupt crisis triggered by a bolide impact contrasts with ideas of a more gradual extinction involving flood volcanism or climatic changes. Evidence from high latitudes has also been used to suggest that t...
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Online Access: | https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/99315/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/99315/11/ncomms11738.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11738 |
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ftleedsuniv:oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:99315 2023-05-15T13:55:00+02:00 Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica Witts, JD Whittle, RJ Wignall, PB Crame, JA Francis, JE Newton, RJ Bowman, VC 2016-05-26 text https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/99315/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/99315/11/ncomms11738.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11738 en eng Nature Publishing Group https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/99315/11/ncomms11738.pdf Witts, JD, Whittle, RJ, Wignall, PB et al. (4 more authors) (2016) Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica. Nature Communications, 7. 11738. cc_by_4 CC-BY Article NonPeerReviewed 2016 ftleedsuniv https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11738 2023-01-30T21:42:11Z Debate continues about the nature of the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) mass extinction event. An abrupt crisis triggered by a bolide impact contrasts with ideas of a more gradual extinction involving flood volcanism or climatic changes. Evidence from high latitudes has also been used to suggest that the severity of the extinction decreased from low latitudes towards the poles. Here we present a record of the K–Pg extinction based on extensive assemblages of marine macrofossils (primarily new data from benthic molluscs) from a highly expanded Cretaceous–Paleogene succession: the López de Bertodano Formation of Seymour Island, Antarctica. We show that the extinction was rapid and severe in Antarctica, with no significant biotic decline during the latest Cretaceous, contrary to previous studies. These data are consistent with a catastrophic driver for the extinction, such as bolide impact, rather than a significant contribution from Deccan Traps volcanism during the late Maastrichtian. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Seymour Island White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) Seymour ENVELOPE(-56.767,-56.767,-64.283,-64.283) Seymour Island ENVELOPE(-56.750,-56.750,-64.283,-64.283) Nature Communications 7 1 |
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Open Polar |
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White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) |
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ftleedsuniv |
language |
English |
description |
Debate continues about the nature of the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) mass extinction event. An abrupt crisis triggered by a bolide impact contrasts with ideas of a more gradual extinction involving flood volcanism or climatic changes. Evidence from high latitudes has also been used to suggest that the severity of the extinction decreased from low latitudes towards the poles. Here we present a record of the K–Pg extinction based on extensive assemblages of marine macrofossils (primarily new data from benthic molluscs) from a highly expanded Cretaceous–Paleogene succession: the López de Bertodano Formation of Seymour Island, Antarctica. We show that the extinction was rapid and severe in Antarctica, with no significant biotic decline during the latest Cretaceous, contrary to previous studies. These data are consistent with a catastrophic driver for the extinction, such as bolide impact, rather than a significant contribution from Deccan Traps volcanism during the late Maastrichtian. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Witts, JD Whittle, RJ Wignall, PB Crame, JA Francis, JE Newton, RJ Bowman, VC |
spellingShingle |
Witts, JD Whittle, RJ Wignall, PB Crame, JA Francis, JE Newton, RJ Bowman, VC Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica |
author_facet |
Witts, JD Whittle, RJ Wignall, PB Crame, JA Francis, JE Newton, RJ Bowman, VC |
author_sort |
Witts, JD |
title |
Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica |
title_short |
Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica |
title_full |
Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica |
title_sort |
macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe cretaceous–paleogene mass extinction in antarctica |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/99315/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/99315/11/ncomms11738.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11738 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-56.767,-56.767,-64.283,-64.283) ENVELOPE(-56.750,-56.750,-64.283,-64.283) |
geographic |
Seymour Seymour Island |
geographic_facet |
Seymour Seymour Island |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Seymour Island |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Seymour Island |
op_relation |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/99315/11/ncomms11738.pdf Witts, JD, Whittle, RJ, Wignall, PB et al. (4 more authors) (2016) Macrofossil evidence for a rapid and severe Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction in Antarctica. Nature Communications, 7. 11738. |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11738 |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
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7 |
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1 |
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1766261225566502912 |