Selectivity of mass extinctions: Patterns, processes, and future directions

Abstract

A central question in the study of mass extinction is whether these events simply intensify background extinction processes and patterns versus change the driving mechanisms and associated patterns of selectivity. Over the past two decades, aided by the development of new fossil occurrence databases, selectivity patterns associated with mass extinction have become increasingly well quantified and their differences from background patterns established. In general, differences in geographic range matter less during mass extinction than during background intervals, while differences in respiratory and circulatory anatomy that may correlate with tolerance to rapid change in oxygen availability, temperature, and pH show greater evidence of selectivity during mass extinction. The recent expansion of physiological experiments on living representatives of diverse clades and the development of simple, quantitative theories linking temperature and oxygen availability to the extent of viable habitat in the oceans have enabled the use of Earth system models to link geochemical proxy constraints on environmental change with quantitative predictions of the amount and biogeography of habitat loss. Early indications are that the interaction between physiological traits and environmental change can explain substantial proportions of observed extinction selectivity for at least some mass extinction events. A remaining challenge is quantifying the effects of primary extinction resulting from the limits of physiological tolerance versus secondary extinction resulting from the loss of taxa on which a given species depended ecologically. The calibration of physiology-based models to past extinction events will enhance their value in prediction and mitigation efforts related to the current biodiversity crisis.

Reduced strength and increased variability of extinction selectivity during mass extinctions

“…Notwithstanding, geographical range response to mass extinction is also variable by clade, suggesting that there might be a connected underlying intrinsic factor driving selectivity of both traits, such as physiology (e.g. [ 77 , 78 ]).…”

A perspective on reconstructing the spatial and temporal patterns of Earth′s biodiversity in deep time

“…然而, 随着生物地理研究的深入, 许多研究提出化石的空间不均一性 . 然而, 得益于古环境模 拟技术的进步, 近年来基于古环境数据的生态模型应 运而生, 或者说深时生物多样性演变模式近年来也开 始用于重建和评估当今生态系统的变化 [34,111] , 而深时 发生的一些重大生物事件也被用于与现代生态系统的 现状比较 [112,113] . 例如: 二叠纪末发生的最大生物灭绝 事件, 造成约81%的海洋生物灭绝 [21,33] , 伴随着这次生 物大灭绝有8~10°C快速升温…”

Frequent transitions from night-to-day activity after mass extinctions

“…On the other hand, surviving lineages may undergo extensive diversification subsequent to extinction events, often facilitated by ecological opportunity in the form of vacated niches previously occupied by extinct species 5 . In animals, it is becoming increasingly clear from the fossil record that survival probabilities during mass extinctions are influenced by biotic factors such as body size 6 and physiology 7 , as well as by distribution range 8,9 , albeit to varying degrees depending on the clade 10 . However, other potentially important determinants of survival probability, including behaviours and life history traits, are difficult to determine from fossils alone.…”