Palaeoecology: Ecosystems, Environments and Evolution

, by Brenchley; P J

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ISBN: 9780412434501 | 0412434504
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 7/9/2004

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Summary

The first palaeoecology book to focus on evolutionary palaeoecology, in both marine and terrestrial environments. Discusses reconstruction of the past ecological world at population, community and biogeographic levels. A well-illustrated and substantial volume giving accessible coverage of the full range of subjects within palaeoecology. Reviews and summarises all the major mass extinctions.

Preface

xiii

(1)

Figure and table acknowledgements

xiv-xxv

(11)

1 Investigating the history of the biosphere

(23)

1.1 Introduction

(3)

1.2 Definitions and principles

(1)

1.3 Marine and terrestrial environments

(2)

1.4 Life modes and trophic strategies

(1)

1.5 Geological framework

(1)

1.6 Global change

(6)

1.6.1 The atmosphere

(4)

1.6.2 The hydrosphere

(1)

1.6.3 The lithosphere

(1)

1.6.4 Biological change

(1)

1.7 Geophysiology

(5)

1.8 Strategy

(1)

1.9 Summary points

(1)

1.10 Further reading

(1)

1.11 References

(3)

2 Environmental controls on biotic distribution

(42)

2.1 The structure of the biosphere.

(2)

2.2 Divisions of the marine environment

(1)

2.3 Limiting factors on the distribution of organisms

(1)

2.4 Light

(2)

2.4.1 Palaeoecology

(1)

Box 2.1 A bathymetric analysis of Carboniferous carbonate mud mounds using algae

2.5 Nutrients

(5)

2.5.1 Palaeoecology

(1)

2.6 Oxygen

(9)

2.6.1 Palaeoecology

(2)

Box 2.2 The Posidonienschiefer -- a controversial Jurassic black shale

(2)

Box 2.3 Carbon cycling and carbon isotopes

(1)

2.7 Temperature

(7)

2.7.1 Palaeoecology

(3)

Box 2.4 Oxygen-stable isotopes

(2)

2.8 Salinity

(4)

2.8.1 Palaeoecology

(1)

Box 2.5 Palaeosalinities in Jurassic rocks of the Great Estuaric group

(1)

2.9 Substrate composition

(3)

2.9.1 Palaeoecology

(2)

2.10 Substrate mobility, sedimentation rates and turbidity

(2)

2.10.1 Palaeoecology

(1)

2.11 Depth

(1)

2.12 The effects of limiting factors in different environments

(2)

2.13 Summary points

(1)

2.14 Further reading

(1)

2.15 References

(3)

3 Taphonomy

(37)

3.1 The study of fossil preservation

(1)

3.2 Preservation potential amongst biological communities

(1)

3.3 The fidelity of fossil assemblages

(2)

3.4 Post-mortem preservation and loss

(3)

3.5 Destruction by physical, biological and chemical processes on the sediment surface

(1)

3.6 Preservation and destruction of shells below the sediment surface

(6)

3.6.1 The shallow diagenetic environment

(1)

3.6.2 Preservation in carbonate concretions

(2)

3.6.3 Pyritic preservation

(1)

3.6.4 Preservation in phosphate

(2)

3.6.5 Preservation in silica

(1)

3.7 Preservation of soft tissue

(1)

3.8 Fossil Lagerstatten -- the exceptional preservation of fossils

(4)

3.9 Types of shell concentrations and time-averaging

(3)

3.10 Information from shell concentrations in the marine environment

(5)

3.11 The taphonomy of vertebrates

(4)

3.12 The preservation of plants

(2)

3.13 Summary points

(2)

3.14 Further reading

100

(1)

3.15 References

100

(3)

4 Adaptive morphology

103

(45)

4.1 Introduction

103

(1)

4.2 Terminology

104

(1)

4.3 Influential factors

105

(2)

4.4 Growth strategies

107

(1)

4.4.1 Shape description

107

(1)

4.5 Investigative methods

108

(8)

4.5.1 Analogues and homologues

110

(1)

4.5.2 Paradigm approach

110

(2)

4.5.3 Experimental palaeoautecology

112

(2)

4.5.4 Computer simulation

114

(2)

4.6 Adaptation and preadaptation

116

(4)

4.6.1 Functional thresholds

117

(1)

4.6.2 Size as an adaptation

118

(1)

4.6.3 Heterochrony

118

(1)

4.6.4 Vestigial structures

119

(1)

4.7 Morphology and environment

120

(22)

4.7.1 Pre-Vendian biota

121

(1)

4.7.2 Vendian evolutionary biota

121

(2)

4.7.3 Tommotian evolutionary biota

123

(1)

4.7.4 Cambrian evolutionary biota

124

(2)

Box 4.1 Growth strategies and function of archaeocyathans

126

(1)

Box 4.2 Cambrian trilobites from the Alum Shale

127

(1)

4.7.5 Palaeozoic evolutionary biota

128

(1)

Box 4.3 Life strategies of rugose corals

129

(1)

Box 4.4 Brachiopod life modes

130

(3)

Box 4.5 Function of bryozoan colonies

133

(1)

Box 4.6 Palaeozoic bivalve life modes

134

(1)

Box 4.7 Trilobite ecomorphs

135

(1)

Box 4.8 Life modes and radiations of the graptolites

136

(1)

4.7.6 Modern evolutionary biota

137

(2)

Box 4.9 Modern bivalve life modes

139

(1)

Box 4.10 Gastropod morphology and adaptation

140

(1)

Box 4.11 Echinoid life strategies

141

(1)

Box 4.12 Cephalopod life styles

142

(1)

4.8 Summary points

142

(1)

4.9 Further reading

143

(1)

4.10 References

143

(5)

5 Trace fossils

148

(31)

5.1 Introduction

148

(1)

5.2 Preservation and taxonomy of trace fossils

149

(3)

5.3 Operational categories

152

(1)

5.4 Trace fossils and the behaviour of the producer

152

(1)

Box 5.1 Ethological classification of trace fossils

154

(1)

5.5 Trace fossils and palaeoenvironments

153

(1)

5.6 Marine and marginal marine ichnofacies

153

(6)

5.6.1 Focus on marine ichnofacies

155

(5)

Box 5.2 Computer simulation of deep-sea trails

160

5.7 Biological activity and ichnofabrics

159

(3)

5.8 Frozen profiles

162

(1)

5.9 Bioerosion

163

(2)

Box 5.3 Bioeroders

165

(1)

5.10 Terrestrial ichnofacies

165

(5)

5.10.1 Invertebrate traces

167

(1)

5.10.2 Vertebrate tracks

167

(4)

Box 5.4 Dinosaur trackways

171

5.10.3 Animal-plant interactions

170

(1)

5.11 Evolution of trace fossils

170

(5)

5.12 Summary points

175

(1)

5.13 Further reading

176

(1)

5.14 References

176

(3)

6 Fossils as environmental indicators

179

(39)

6.1 Evidence used in environmental analysis

179

(1)

6.2 Discriminating between environments on clastic shelves

180

(11)

6.2.1 Biofacies distribution

180

(4)

6.2.2 Trace fossils

184

(2)

6.2.3 Diversity, biomass and size gradients

186

(2)

6.2.4 Taphonomic state

188

(1)

6.2.5 Types of shell concentration

189

(2)

6.3 Fossils as bathymetric indicators for marine shelf sediments

191

(5)

6.4 Environmental indicators in deep marine sediments

196

(1)

6.5 Carbonate environments

197

(6)

6.5.1 Carbonate ramps

200

(1)

6.5.2 Rimmed shelves

201

(1)

6.5.3 Epeiric basins

202

(1)

6.6 Oxygen deficient environments

203

(4)

6.7 Environments with high and low salinity

207

(2)

6.8 Firmness of substrate

209

(2)

6.9 Shell concentrations, sedimentation rate and sequence stratigraphy

211

(3)

6.10 Summary points

214

(1)

6.11 Further reading

215

(1)

6.12 References

215

(3)

7 Populations and communities

218

(53)

7.1 Population structure and dynamics

218

(1)

7.2 Types of populations

219

(4)

7.2.1 Size-frequency analyses

219

(2)

7.2.2 Age of fossil specimens

221

(1)

7.2.3 Survivorship curves

222

(3)

Box 7.1 Population analysis of a sample of the fossil brachiopod Dielasma from the Permian of northeast England

225

7.3 Variation in populations

223

(1)

7.4 Spatial distribution

224

(1)

7.5 Opportunist and equilibrium species

225

(1)

7.6 Life strategies and trade-offs

226

(1)

7.7 Long-term survivorship pattern

227

(1)

7.8 Community structure

227

(3)

7.9 Palaeocommunities

230

(2)

7.10 Numerical analysis of community data

232

(8)

Box 7.2 Ecological indices

235

(5)

7.11 Community organization

240

(16)

7.11.1 Trophic structure

240

(5)

Box 7.3 Reconstruction of a Jurassic tropic structure

245

(6)

7.11.2 Tiering

251

(1)

7.11.3 Coevolution

252

(1)

7.11.4 Community succession

253

(3)

7.12 Species diversity

256

(6)

7.12.1 Diversity patterns on different scales

256

(1)

7.12.2 Diversity trend in marine habitats

257

(3)

7.12.3 Measuring diversity in palaeontological samples

260

(2)

7.13 Environmental distribution of Phanerozoic communities

262

(1)

7.14 Community replacement

263

(2)

7.15 Summary points

265

(1)

7.16 Further reading

266

(1)

7.17 References

267

(4)

8 Palaeobiogeography

271

(32)

8.1 Introduction

271

(1)

8.2 Modern biogeography

272

(2)

8.3 Some concepts and definitions

274

(1)

8.4 Controls on biogeography

275

(10)

8.4.1 Dispersal biogeography

276

(1)

Box 8.1 The role of larvae

277

(2)

8.4.2 Vicariance biogeography

279

(1)

Box 8.2 Distance and similarity coefficients

280

(2)

Box 8.3 Cladistics and biogeography

282

(3)

8.5 Recognition of past biogeographic provinces

285

(1)

Box 8.4 Faunal provinces through time

285

(1)

8.6 Palaeoclimatology

286

(3)

8.7 Plate movements

289

(4)

Box 8.5 North American Cordillera

290

(3)

8.8 Biogeography and evolution

293

(5)

Box 8.6 Changing diversity, immigration and extinction

297

(1)

8.9 Biogeography and extinction

298

(1)

8.10 Summary points

298

(1)

8.11 Further reading

299

(1)

8.12 References

300

(3)

9 Evolutionary palaeoecology of the marine biosphere

303

(54)

9.1 The early history of life

303

(1)

9.2 Diversification events in Earth history

304

(17)

9.2.1 The origin of life and the earliest Procaryota

304

(1)

9.2.2 Appearance of the Eucaryota

305

(1)

9.2.3 Appearance of the Metazoa

306

(1)

9.2.4 Broad patterns of metazoan diversification

306

(1)

9.2.5 The Ediacara fauna

307

(1)

9.2.6 The early Cambrian evolutionary explosion

308

(3)

9.2.7 Diversification of the three great evolutionary faunas

311

(5)

Box 9.1 measuring changing diversity

316

(1)

9.2.8 Diversity independent models of Phanerozoic diversity

317

(1)

9.2.9 The origins of diversity

317

(4)

9.3 Extinction

321

(28)

9.3.1 Patterns of extinction

321

(1)

9.3.2 Analysing patterns of extinction

322

(4)

9.3.3 Causes of extinction

326

(9)

9.3.4 The causes and ecology of some of the major extinctions

335

(11)

9.3.5 Recovery from mass extinctions

346

(1)

9.3.6 The effect of major extinctions on evolution

347

(1)

9.3.7 Radiation, stasis and extinction

348

(1)

9.4 Summary points

349

(2)

9.5 Further reading

351

(1)

9.6 References

351

(6)

10 Fossil terrestrial ecosystems

357

(40)

10.1 Introduction

357

(1)

10.2 Initial adaptations and the early terrestrial record

358

(7)

10.2.1 Plants

359

(2)

10.2.2 Animals

361

(4)

10.3 Conquest of the Air

365

(2)

10.4 Trends

367

(3)

10.5 Terrestrial ecosystems through time

370

(20)

10.5.1 Palaeozoic ecosystems

371

(3)

Box 10.1 Rhynie biota

374

(1)

Box 10.2 East Kirkton Lake

375

(2)

Box 10.3 Nyrany Lake

377

(1)

10.5.2 Mesozoic ecosystems

376

(3)

Box 10.4 Otter assemblage

379

(1)

Box 10.5 Cotswold assemblage

380

(3)

Box 10.6 Morrison assemblage

383

(2)

Box 10.7 Hell Creek assemblages

385

(1)

10.5.3 Cenozoic ecosystems

384

(6)

Box 10.8 East African Savanna

390

(1)

10.6 Mass extinctions

390

(1)

10.7 The Modern ecosystem

391

(1)

10.8 Summary points

392

(1)

10.9 Further reading

393

(1)

10.10 References

393

(4)

Index

397

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Palaeoecology: Ecosystems, Environments and Evolution

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