Paleoecology Flashcards
Ecology
Study of the distribution and abundance of organisms.
– Describes patterns of abundance and distribution and
– Explains them in terms of interactions with other organisms and the physical environment.
Study of the distribution and abundance of organisms in
the geologic past
Paleoecology
Includes description and explanation of patterns in terms of
interactions among organisms and with the physical
environment
Paleobiological aspects of Paleoecology
▸ Life histories of fossil species
▸ History of interactions among organisms; competition, predation, etc.
▸ Nature and history of ancient communities and
ecosystems
▸ Evolution of ecological systems, up to the entire biosphere
▸ Impact of ecology on macroevolution and vice versa
▸ Most of these have been termed evolutionary
paleoecology
Time scales of paleoecology
Up to billions of years. Much longer than ecology
Time scales of ecology
season-centuries. Much shorter than paleoecology.
Biological process in paleoecology…
much be inferred from secondary evidence. Cannot be observed as is the case in ecology
Taphonomy in paleoecology
Loss of many individuals and species in populations. (where are the babies and soft bodied organisms?)
Paleoecology as a geological science
Earth scientists concentrate on the physical side of
the controls - what do fossils tell us about ancient
environments?
What parts of an environment can we reconstruct using paleoecology?
depth, ocean currents, temp, etc.
definition of paleoecology
“studies of past environments that
contribute to applied problems and theory in the
geological sciences, particularly facies analysis and the
reconstruction of past environments” - J. Kitchell, 1985
assume ecology, environmental distribution fossil organisms same as living relatives
taxonomic uniformitarianism.
ex- temperature tolerance of ancient tree species is the same as modern ones
Biogeochemical methods to reconstruct ancient environments
Using oxygen, carbon and other isotopes in fossil shells
to determine temperature, salinity, etc.
preserved molecules that have an environmental signal
Biomarkers
Sedimentology
Nature of containing sedimentary rocks, such as composition, texture and sorting, physical features (ex-mudcracks or cross bedding)
ecology of a single individual or species
Autecology
ecology of the interactions of individuals
or taxons with each other and with the physical
environment
Synecology
incorporates studies of communities, ecosystems, and biotic interactions.
group of organisms with similar life modes and feeding habits
Guilds
individuals of a species that live together
Population
Properties of populations include
▸ Size (number of individuals) and its changes through time
▸ Rates of reproduction
▸ Rates of mortality
▸ Ratios of male-female; juveniles- adults
▸ Distribution in space and environment
▸ Morphologic variation
Interactions among organisms found in the fossil record
include
▸ Competition: best evidence from fossil record comes from studies of bryozoan overgrowth
▸ Predation: numerous studies of predation in the fossil
record.
Evidence of predation in the fossil record comes from
– Trace fossils: Naticid borings on bivalves
– Bite marks on leaves, trilobites
– Coprolites (fossil feces): plant remains in ground sloth
dung
an organism that lives on the surface of another living organism
Epibionts
community
a group of organisms living together in the same place at the same time
paleocommunities
fossil assemblage of coexisting organisms preserved within a given area - often referred to simply as an assemblage
Species present
species composition
what niches/guilds are present
trophic structure
the community plus the physical environment
ecosystem
Studying ecosystems in the fossil record heavily
dependent on
isotopic methods
tiering
Different organisms live at different levels
Using the fossil record to understand the evolutionary
and ecological responses of present-day species to
changes in their environment
Conservation paleobiology
