The spatial and temporal diversification of Early Palaeozoic vertebrates

Smith, M. Paul; Donoghue, Philip C. J.; Sansom, Ivan J.

doi:10.1144/gsl.sp.2002.194.01.06

Cited by 24 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…, A), in accordance with some previous proposals based on the location of the earliest occurrences of the group (Smith et al . ; Blieck & Turner ; Turner et al . ).…”

Section: Geographical Distribution and Dispersal Events Of Thelodontsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of ecological diversification in thelodonts

et al. 2018

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Here we explore the spatial, temporal and phylogenetic patterns of ecological diversification for the entire clade of thelodonts, one of the earliest groups of vertebrates and longest lasting of the Palaeozoic agnathans in the fossil record. Parsimony and maximum‐likelihood methods are used to reconstruct ancestral states of their geographical distributions, habitats and lifestyles. Our results support the concept that thelodonts originated during the Middle?–Late Ordovician probably in marine open waters of Laurasia, with a demersal lifestyle on hard substrates being the ancestral condition for the whole clade. Later, thelodonts underwent a complex ecological diversification and palaeobiogeographical history, comparable in many aspects to those of some major groups of living fishes. Different modes of life evolved repeatedly and a wide range of habitats were colonized by distinct groups, including deep waters and brackish marine and/or freshwater environments. Diadromous strategies presumably appeared on nine different occasions. The palaeobiogeographical history of thelodonts reveals significant differences in the dispersal potential of some major groups. Dispersal of thelodontiforms entailed displacements over long distances and the crossing of deep‐water biogeographical barriers, whereas those of furcacaudiforms were always limited to areas interconnected by shallow platforms. We propose that the evolution of pelagic larval stages in thelodontiforms might explain this biogeographical pattern and could satisfactorily account for the greater evolutionary success of this group.

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“…, A), in accordance with some previous proposals based on the location of the earliest occurrences of the group (Smith et al . ; Blieck & Turner ; Turner et al . ).…”

Section: Geographical Distribution and Dispersal Events Of Thelodontsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of ecological diversification in thelodonts

et al. 2018

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“…These new data from Oman indicate that arandaspids are a truly peri‐Gondwanan group (Text‐fig. 4), and lends considerable support to an alternative hypothesis that dispersal and vicariance both had roles to play in the distribution of Lower Palaeozoic vertebrates, largely influenced by their bodyplans (Smith et al. 2002).…”

Section: Palaeogeographical Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2002). The heavily armoured arandaspids and astraspids, endemic to Gondwana and Laurentia respectively, would have had a low dispersal potential, especially across oceanic barriers, as they lacked a significantly mineralised backbone, whereas the microsquamous forms, such as thelodonts and chondrichthyans, rapidly became cosmopolitan after their first appearance in the fossil record (Smith et al. 2002).…”

Section: Palaeogeographical Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ordovician Fish From the Arabian Peninsula

Sansom¹,

Miller

Heward³

et al. 2009

Palaeontology

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Over the past three decades Ordovician pteraspidomorphs (armoured jawless fish) have been recorded from the fringes of the Gondwana palaeocontinent, in particular Australia and South America. These occurrences are dominated by arandaspid agnathans, the oldest known group of vertebrates with extensive biomineralisation of the dermoskeleton. Here we describe specimens of arandaspid agnathans, referable to the genus Sacabambaspis Gagnier, Blieck and Rodrigo, from the Ordovician of Oman, which represent the earliest record of pteraspidomorphs from the Arabian margin of Gondwana. These are among the oldest arandaspids known, and greatly extend the palaeogeographical distribution of the clade around the periGondwanan margin. Their occurrence within a very narrow, nearshore ecological niche suggests that similar Middle Ordovician palaeoenvironmental settings should be targeted for further sampling.

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“…Smith et al (2002) argue that the latest common ancestor of all 'ostracoderms' and jawed vertebrates was Laurentian but thereafter the early Palaeozoic diversification of the vertebrates reflected complex biogeographical patterns of dispersal, vicariance and tectonic convergence. In contrast, an 'out of Gondwana' radiation for many invertebrate groups is a recurring theme.…”

Section: Emerging Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Palaeobiogeography and the Ordovician and Mesozoic-Cenozoic biotic radiations

Owen

Crame

2002

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Curves of taxonomic diversity through geological time consistently show major evolutionary radiations during the Ordovician Period and from the mid-Mesozoic to the present day. Both intervals were characterized by marked biotic provincialism, reflecting episodes of major continental break-up and global tectonism, and their later histories featured steep global climatic gradients. The Ordovician radiation can be recognized at a wide spectrum of taxonomic levels from species to class, and the biogeographical patterns associated with the radiation of individual clades reflect a complex combination of plate distribution, tectonic activity, sedimentary environment, sea-level rise and, ultimately, glaciation. The true scale of the mid-Mesozoic-Cenozoic biotic radiation is currently a topic of intense debate but there is no doubt that it affected plants and animals in both the marine and terrestrial realms. The role of land bridges and ocean gateways in controlling the formation of biodiversity patterns has been a persistent theme in Mesozoic-Cenozoic biogeography, and a complex set of Neogene tectonic events probably aided the development of both latitudinal and longitudinal provinces during the Cenozoic. The present volume highlights some of the successes across a spectrum of approaches to unravelling the Ordovician and Mesozoic-Cenozoic radiations within the context of palaeobiogeography.'... geologic history is the pacemaker of biologic diversity' (Schopf 1979, p.454) Post-Cambrian curves of taxonomic diversity through geological time consistently show a major evolutionary radiation during the Ordovician Period, and a second, larger one from the mid-Mesozoic to the present day. Between these steep upward slopes the Silurian-Jurassic interval usually appears as a distinct plateau punctuated by mass extinctions and their recovery

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The spatial and temporal diversification of Early Palaeozoic vertebrates

Cited by 24 publications

References 71 publications

Patterns of ecological diversification in thelodonts

Patterns of ecological diversification in thelodonts

Ordovician Fish From the Arabian Peninsula

Palaeobiogeography and the Ordovician and Mesozoic-Cenozoic biotic radiations

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