Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha

Gibson, Brandt M.; Chipman, Max; Attanasio, Paolo; Qureshi, Zaid; Darroch, Simon A. F.; Rahman, Imran A.; Laflamme, Marc

doi:10.1098/rsos.230766

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 47 publications

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“…Li et al (2022) tested the drag forces acting on a model of the Cambrian arthropod Ercaicunia multinodosa placed in a water tank on a moving rig, which could be compared to simulated drag forces, though they did not measure lift forces and used a high level of model 3 scaling, potentially rendering the force values unreliable. Gibson et al (2023) interestingly compared their CFD simulation results to early wind tunnel EFD results by Balsam and Vogel (1973) to assess the robustness of their conclusions on archaeocyathid feeding hypotheses. While not analysing the palaeobiology of an extinct organism, Davis et al (2019) carried out a more holistic study on extant horseshoe crabs, using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to track flow around the horseshoe crab model in experiments and using this to validate fluid flow simulations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental protocol for validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics palaeoecological simulations

Drage,

Pates,

Minter

2024

Preprint

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Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are increasingly used to test palaeoecological hypotheses. These analyses output simulated velocity and pressure flow profiles, and drag and lift force values acting on a model. These outputs are presumed to be internally consistent, assuming consistently applied parameters, but it is unclear whether these reflect real-world force measurements. Without having certainty in the simulated force outputs, we risk the resulting palaeoecological hypotheses lacking robustness. To test the difference between simulated and real-world force values, Experimental Fluid Dynamics (EFD) analyses using flume tanks can be performed, though these have rarely been done for palaeobiological research. We present ongoing, preliminary work to produce a broadly applicable protocol for performing EFD analyses to validate CFD results. We discuss digital model production and the considerations involved in 3D printing models to use in EFD, present the low-cost, open-source circuitry equipment used to measure forces, and display the jig built to support the circuitry above the flume tank during experiments. This protocol is undergoing refinement prior to data collection, including the method to attach the load cells to the jig and the material used for the beam connecting the model to the jig. Following refinement, this protocol will be consequently updated, and a series of validation values will be produced for major early Palaeozoic arthropod body plans under different flow regimes in varied water column positions. These values can be used to validate CFD results of varied future studies, and the protocol replicated to support others in performing EFD validation of palaeoecological hypothesis-testing experiments.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental protocol for validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics palaeoecological simulations

Drage,

Pates,

Minter

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha

Gibson,

Chipman,

Attanasio

et al. 2023

R. Soc. open sci.

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Sponge-grade Archaeocyatha were early Cambrian biomineralizing metazoans that constructed reefs globally. Despite decades of research, many facets of archaeocyath palaeobiology remain unclear, making it difficult to reconstruct the palaeoecology of Cambrian reef ecosystems. Of specific interest is how these organisms fed; previous experimental studies have suggested that archaeocyaths functioned as passive suspension feeders relying on ambient currents to transport nutrient-rich water into their central cavities. Here, we test this hypothesis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of digital models of select archaeocyath species. Our results demonstrate that, given a range of plausible current velocities, there was very little fluid circulation through the skeleton, suggesting obligate passive suspension feeding was unlikely. Comparing our simulation data with exhalent velocities collected from extant sponges, we infer an active suspension feeding lifestyle for archaeocyaths. The combination of active suspension feeding and biomineralization in Archaeocyatha may have facilitated the creation of modern metazoan reef ecosystems.

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How to engineer a habitable planet: the rise of marine ecosystem engineers through the Phanerozoic

Cribb,

Darroch

2024

Palaeontology

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Ecosystem engineers are organisms that modify their physical habitats in a way that alters resource availability and the structure of the communities they live in. The evolution of ecosystem engineers over the course of Earth history has thus been suggested to have been a driver of macroevolutionary and macroecological changes that are observed in the fossil record. However, the rise to dominance of ecosystem engineers has not been thoroughly reconstructed. Here, we investigate the history of bioturbation and reef‐building (two of the most important marine ecosystem engineering behaviours today) over the Phanerozoic. Using fossil occurrences from the Paleobiology Database, we reconstruct how common communities influenced by ecosystem engineers were in the oceans, how dominant ecosystem engineers were within their own communities, and the taxonomic and ecological composition of bioturbators and reef‐builders. We find that bioturbation has become an increasingly common ecosystem engineering behaviour over the Phanerozoic, while reef‐building ecosystem engineers have not become more dominant since their Devonian apex. We also identify unique bioturbation and reef‐building regimes that are characterized by different ecosystem engineering taxonomic groups, ecological modes, and dominance, suggesting that the nature of ecosystem engineering has at times rapidly shifted over the course of the Phanerozoic. These reconstructions will serve as important data for understanding how ecosystem engineers have driven changes in biodiversity and ecosystem structure over the course of Earth history.

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Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha

Cited by 3 publications

References 47 publications

Experimental protocol for validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics palaeoecological simulations

Experimental protocol for validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics palaeoecological simulations

Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha

How to engineer a habitable planet: the rise of marine ecosystem engineers through the Phanerozoic

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