The Paleocene-Eocene benthic foraminiferal extinction and stable isotope anomalies

Thomas, Ellen; Shackleton, Nicholas J

doi:10.1144/gsl.sp.1996.101.01.20

Cited by 315 publications

(389 citation statements)

References 153 publications

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“…The temperature-density relationship of seawater (1.9 Â 10 À2 %volume/°C) requires a 3 -5 m rise in sea level from the $5°C ocean warming recorded during the PETM [Kennett and Stott, 1991;Zachos et al, 1993;Thomas and Shackleton, 1996;Thomas et al, 2002;Zachos et al, 2003;Tripati and Elderfield, 2005;Zachos et al, 2006]. Our most expanded records from New Jersey indeed show a reasonable correlation between sea level rise and local PETM surface warming (likely synchronous with deep ocean warming on timescales of 1 or a few thousand years) (Figures 3 and 4).…”

Section: Steric Effectmentioning

confidence: 55%

Eustatic variations during the Paleocene‐Eocene greenhouse world

et al. 2008

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[1] We reconstruct eustatic variations during the latest Paleocene and earliest Eocene ($58-52 Ma). Dinoflagellate cysts, grain size fractions, and organic biomarkers in marine sections at four sites from three continents indicate an increased distance to the coast during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM). The same trend is recognized in published records from other sites around the world. Together, the data indicate a eustatic rise during the PETM, beginning 20 to 200 ka before the globally recorded negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) at $55.5 Ma. Although correlations are tentative, we recognize other global transgressions during Chrons C25n and C24n. The latter may be associated with Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 ($53.5 Ma) or the ''X''-event ($52 Ma). These results suggest a link between global sea level and ''hyperthermal'' intervals, potentially because of the melting of small alpine ice sheets on Antarctica, thermal expansion of seawater, or both. However, the early onset of sea level rise relative to the CIE of the PETM suggests contributions from other mechanisms, perhaps decreasing ocean basin volume, on sea level rise.

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Section: Steric Effectmentioning

confidence: 55%

Eustatic variations during the Paleocene‐Eocene greenhouse world

et al. 2008

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“…Unlike the end-Permian event, however, the PETM is not associated with global mass extinction-only deep-sea benthic foraminifera were severely affected (63). Differences in the distribution of carbonate sediments between 250 and 55 million years ago may account for much of the contrast.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Calcium isotope constraints on the end-Permian mass extinction

Payne

Turchyn

Paytan

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

211

164

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The end-Permian mass extinction horizon is marked by an abrupt shift in style of carbonate sedimentation and a negative excursion in the carbon isotope (δ 13 C) composition of carbonate minerals. Several extinction scenarios consistent with these observations have been put forward. Secular variation in the calcium isotope (δ 44∕40 Ca) composition of marine sediments provides a tool for distinguishing among these possibilities and thereby constraining the causes of mass extinction. Here we report δ 44∕40 Ca across the Permian-Triassic boundary from marine limestone in south China. The δ 44∕40 Ca exhibits a transient negative excursion of ∼0.3‰ over a few hundred thousand years or less, which we interpret to reflect a change in the global δ 44∕40 Ca composition of seawater. CO 2 -driven ocean acidification best explains the coincidence of the δ 44∕40 Ca excursion with negative excursions in the δ 13 C of carbonates and organic matter and the preferential extinction of heavily calcified marine animals. Calcium isotope constraints on carbon cycle calculations suggest that the average δ 13 C of CO 2 released was heavier than −28‰ and more likely near −15‰; these values indicate a source containing substantial amounts of mantle-or carbonatederived carbon. Collectively, the results point toward Siberian Trap volcanism as the trigger of mass extinction.

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“…This, in combination with paleobiogeographic evidence (29,30), suggests that N. truempyi may have been adapted to low-carbonate ion bottom waters, enabling it to survive ocean acidification. O. umbonatus is a shallow infaunal species, as deduced from its more negative carbon isotopes values (26,28,31) and therefore likely adapted to the more carbonate-corrosive conditions in pore waters. At many locations, the percentage of infaunal species increased directly after the extinction (9,29,30), indicating preferential survival of species adapted to calcify under low carbonate saturation, thus exaptation (also called "preadaptation") of infaunal taxa to acidification.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surviving rapid climate change in the deep sea during the Paleogene hyperthermals

Foster

Schmidt

Thomas

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Predicting the impact of ongoing anthropogenic CO 2 emissions on calcifying marine organisms is complex, owing to the synergy between direct changes (acidification) and indirect changes through climate change (e.g., warming, changes in ocean circulation, and deoxygenation). Laboratory experiments, particularly on longer-lived organisms, tend to be too short to reveal the potential of organisms to acclimatize, adapt, or evolve and usually do not incorporate multiple stressors. We studied two examples of rapid carbon release in the geological record, Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (∼53.2 Ma) and the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ∼55.5 Ma), the best analogs over the last 65 Ma for future ocean acidification related to high atmospheric CO 2 levels. We use benthic foraminifers, which suffered severe extinction during the PETM, as a model group. Using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy, we reconstruct the calcification response of survivor species and find, contrary to expectations, that calcification significantly increased during the PETM. In contrast, there was no significant response to the smaller Eocene Thermal Maximum 2, which was associated with a minor change in diversity only. These observations suggest that there is a response threshold for extinction and calcification response, while highlighting the utility of the geological record in helping constrain the sensitivity of biotic response to environmental change. marine calcifiers | greenhouse gases | ecosystem stress response

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The Paleocene-Eocene benthic foraminiferal extinction and stable isotope anomalies

Cited by 315 publications

References 153 publications

Eustatic variations during the Paleocene‐Eocene greenhouse world

Eustatic variations during the Paleocene‐Eocene greenhouse world

Calcium isotope constraints on the end-Permian mass extinction

Surviving rapid climate change in the deep sea during the Paleogene hyperthermals

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