Journal article
Phanerozoic pO2 and the early evolution of terrestrial animals
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol.285(1871), 20172631
01/24/2018
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2631
PMCID: PMC5805952
PMID: 29367401
Abstract
Concurrent gaps in the Late Devonian/Mississippian fossil records of insects and tetrapods (i.e. Romer's Gap) have been attributed to physiological suppression by low atmospheric p O 2 . Here, updated stable isotope inputs inform a reconstruction of Phanerozoic oxygen levels that contradicts the low oxygen hypothesis (and contradicts the purported role of oxygen in the evolution of gigantic insects during the late Palaeozoic), but reconciles isotope-based calculations with other proxies, like charcoal. Furthermore, statistical analysis demonstrates that the gap between the first Devonian insect and earliest diverse insect assemblages of the Pennsylvanian (Bashkirian Stage) requires no special explanation if insects were neither diverse nor abundant prior to the evolution of wings. Rather than tracking physiological constraint, the fossil record may accurately record the transformative evolutionary impact of insect flight.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Phanerozoic pO2 and the early evolution of terrestrial animals
- Creators
- Sandra R Schachat - ,Conrad C Labandeira - ,Matthew R Saltzman - ,Bradley D Cramer - ,Jonathan L Payne - ,C. Kevin Boyce - ,
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol.285(1871), 20172631
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- DOI
- 10.1098/rspb.2017.2631
- PMID
- 29367401
- PMCID
- PMC5805952
- ISSN
- 0962-8452
- eISSN
- 1471-2954
- Grant note
- DGE-1125191 / ;
- Alternative title
- pO2 and early terrestrial animals
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/24/2018
- Academic Unit
- International Programs; Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9983983649302771
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