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ECO3B: Managing Conservation > W2: L9 = Palaeontology [ME Methods] (Prof. Benoit) > Flashcards

W2: L9 = Palaeontology [ME Methods] (Prof. Benoit) Flashcards

1
Q

How to characterise a ME? (2)

A
  • Historically, a ME is a paleontological concept.
  • Defined based on the fossil record of hard-shelled marine invertebrates & protozoans.
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2
Q

Methods to quantify extinctions attributes? (3)

A
  • You need an idea of Time (vertically).
  • You need a list of taxa (horizontal).
  • Broken/Dashed lines are solid lines.
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3
Q

Methods to quantify extinctions? (6)

A

1) Number of genera or family in a given slice of time.

2) Number of extinctions in a given slice of time.

3) Extinction rate (ER).

4) Origination rate (OR).

5) Excess extinction rate (EER).

6) Survival rate (SR).

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4
Q

Step 1? (2)

A

= Count number of taxa/genera or family in a given slice of time.

  • Usually 1-10 million years.
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5
Q

Problem with Step 1?

A

What if there are many taxa going extinct as there are new ones evolving?

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6
Q

Step 2? (3)

A

= Count number of extinctions in a given slice of time.

  • Count the incomplete lines.
  • The number of taxa that become extinct in a given slice of time.
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7
Q

Step 3?

A

= ER (in %).

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8
Q

ER (Extinction Rate)?

A

= number of extinctions over number of genera or families (in %).

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9
Q

ER attributes? (4)

A
  • Less sensitive to speciation.
  • More sensitive to the Lagerstatten effect.
  • Low diversity.
  • High extinction bias.
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10
Q

Lagerstatten effect?

A

=

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11
Q

Graph 2 showing families attributes? (2)

A
  • Speciation & preservation.
  • Complete turnover issue.
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12
Q

Step 4?

A

= Origination rate (OR) (or Speciation rate).

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13
Q

Origination rate (OR)?

A

= number of new taxa over total number of taxa (in %).

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14
Q

OR attributes? (2)

A
  • Mass extinctions are immediately followed by an evolutionary radiation of new lineages.
  • Lines going into other boxes/that continue.
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15
Q

Step 5?

A

= Excess Extinction Rate (EER).

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16
Q

EER?

A

= extinction rate compared to the background extinction rate (BER).

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17
Q

EER attributes? (2)

A
  • Taxa go extinct all the time (even if it’s not an anthropogenic cause): for mammals, the species have a life-span of about 1-3myr.
  • Extinction rate over BER (in %) will be average extinction rate.
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18
Q

Step 6?

A

= Survival Rate (SR).

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19
Q

SR?

A

= how many taxa survive over total number of taxa in the interval (in %).

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20
Q

SR attributes? (2)

A
  • Mass extinction causes drop in survival rate.
  • Lines that complete cross the full box/slice of time.
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21
Q

Step 1 equation?

A

No. of genera or family or taxa.

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22
Q

Step 2 equation?

A

No. of extinctions.

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23
Q

Step 3 equation?

A

ER = (# of extinctions / # of genera or family or taxa) x 100

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24
Q

Step 4 equation?

A

OR = (# of new taxa / # genera or family or taxa) x 100

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25
Q

Step 5 equation?

A

EER = ER - Average ER

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26
Q

Step 6 equation?

A

SR = (# complete cross lines / # genera or family or taxa) x 100

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27
Q

After calculating, what do we do?

A

Conclude which interval has/which slice of time has the highest extinction.

28
Q

Questions asked about the Methods to quantify extinction? (5)

A

1) What about shrinkage in population?

2) What about population size?

3) What about health? (eg, shell decalcification).

4) What about ghost lineages?

5) What about the completeness of fossil record?

29
Q

Ghost lineages?

A

= when a lineage originated from another part of the world & then appeared in the after an extinction event.

30
Q

Thing to note about characterizing a mass extinction?

A

Except for the Permian-Triassic extinction, no Big 5 resists for correction for all statistical bias.

31
Q

What do you need to study extinctions well? (2)

A

You need quantitative & qualitative data to be properly characterised, as quantitative approach alone is flawed.

32
Q

Types of ME methods? (2)

A
  • Quantitative approach.
  • Qualitative approach.
33
Q

Qualitative approach?

A

= observation of brutal changes in the palaeo-environment.

34
Q

List of the brutal changes in the palaeo-environment? (2)

A
  • Geological changes.
  • Biological changes.
35
Q

Geological changes? (4)

A
  • K-Pg boundary shows anoxic waters (anoxic conditions).
  • When an ME happens, it is evident in the sediments (as you have different sediment deposits).
  • Black shales are indicative of a crisis that might have happened.
  • Changes in the geology are indicative of changes in the environment.
36
Q

Biological changes attributes? (8)

A
  • By definition: the dominant species always go extinct.
  • The aftermath is an evolutionary radiation of the survivors.
  • Dominant species that were extinct are replaced by new dominant species (eg, trilobites replaced by ammonites).
  • Marine species in sea.
  • Brackish & fresh water species (back or running).
  • Terrestrial species on continent.
  • Adaptation to crisis.
  • Damages due to biological crisis.
37
Q

List types of markers of changes in the environment/ecosystem? (3)

A
  • Marine species in sea.
  • Brackish & fresh water species.
  • Terrestrial species on continent.
38
Q

Marine species list? (4)

A
  • Deep water species.
  • Shallow water species.
  • Tropical species.
  • Cold water species.
39
Q

What do Coral reefs indicate of the environment? (3)

A
  • Show a stable, healthy ecosystem.
  • Used to deduce/indicate a shift in environment.
  • Good indicator of environment.
40
Q

What do Abalones indicate of the environment?

A

Indicate a cold environment.

41
Q

What do Sea lilies indicate of the environment?

A

Indicate deep sea environment.

42
Q

Eg of Deep water species?

A

Sea lilies.

43
Q

Eg of Cold water species?

A

Abalone.

44
Q

Brackish & fresh water species (back or running) attributes? (2)

A
  • Diversity poor environment.
  • Found in lake, river & estuary.
45
Q

Egs of Brackish & fresh water species (back or running)? (3)

A
  • Zambezi shark.
  • Rams horn snails.
  • Lingula.
46
Q

Continents/Environments on which terrestrial species are found? (4)

A
  • Dry (savanna) or Wet (forest).
  • Cold or hot.
  • Altitude.
  • Glacial (polar bear).
47
Q

Adaptation to crisis?

A

Lilliput effect.

48
Q

Lilliput effect?

A

= when small animals reproduce faster & consume less resources.

49
Q

Lilliput effect attribute?

A

Animals adapt to harsh environmental conditions by reducing in size (become small).

50
Q

Pros of Lilliput effect? (2)

A
  • Animals reproduces faster.
  • Animals consume less resources.
51
Q

Eg of Lilliput effect in organism?

A

Lystrosaurus (Permian-Triassic).

52
Q

Explain Lystrosaurus (Permian-Triassic)?

A

Observed in shift from Permian Lystrosaurus (large) to Triassic Lystrosaurus (small).

53
Q

Types of damages due to biological crisis? (2)

A
  • Anatomical damages.
  • Ecological damages.
54
Q

Anatomical damages? (2)

A
  • Seashells & foraminiferans tests become thinner as CO2 rises & oceans get more acid.
  • Effects of the 6th mass extinction (even if it hasn’t happened).
55
Q

Ecological damages? (2)

A
  • Taxa may not disappear, but an ecological type (biome) may completely disappear.
  • Disaster taxon.
56
Q

Egs of where taxa may not disappear but a biome may completely disappear? (2)

A
  • Coral reefs (aquatic).
  • Frogs (terrestrial).
57
Q

Disaster taxon?

A

= a single taxon that dominates & thrives in complete ecosystems in times of ecological crisis.

58
Q

Eg of disaster taxa? (2)

A
  • Lystrosaurus.
  • Diictodon.
59
Q

“Criteria” to be a good disaster taxon? (3)

A
  • Thrives during crisis (when other organisms are going extinct).
  • But dies off later on.
  • Can exist before & after crises but thrives most DURING CRISIS.
60
Q

Thing to note about disaster taxa?

A

In order to know more/if given abundance (i.e., whether a taxon was abundant), it indicates disaster taxon.

61
Q

What do different colours of Fe indicate?

A

Show geological changes.

62
Q

Colours of Fe? (3)

A
  • Green Fe.
  • Red Fe.
  • Yellow Fe.
63
Q

Green Fe indicates?

A

Swampy environments.

64
Q

Red Fe indicates?

A

Dry environments.

65
Q

Yellow Fe indicates?

A

Sandy/River environments.

66
Q

Conclusion of How to characterise a ME? (2)

A
  • Extinctions are more than just numbers.
  • Overall, all methods converge to the same results: 5 mass extinction events stand out.

ECO3B: Managing Conservation (31 decks)

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