John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
Scientists have been investigating the aftermath of Earth's largest mass extinction event, known as the end-Permian extinction, which occurred around 252 million years ago and resulted in the loss of 80% of marine species. The aftermath led to a period termed the "Great Dulling," characterized by uniform marine communities across the globe. Recent research by Stanford University scientists suggests environmental changes allowed surviving species to expand their habitats significantly.
The study, published in Science Advances, focuses on the fossil record and employs a model predicting how species like clams and snails thrived in warmer, low-oxygen environments. Jonathan Payne, a senior study author and professor at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, emphasizes the model's significance, stating, "We are now able to study big biogeographic changes of mass extinctions in a new way and get a better sense of why some animal groups made it through while others perished."
Ancient oceans' conditions were inferred through chemical markers and historical data on global warming, volcanic activity, and ocean acidification. These elements played a role in allowing surviving species to become globally widespread during the earliest Triassic period. Jood Al Aswad, the lead study author, explained the phenomenon by likening it to modern-day kangaroos appearing across the globe following a major disaster.
The research tested hypotheses regarding ecological release and climate-driven environmental changes, using experiments and geochemical data to build a climate model. The findings highlighted that mollusks adeptly adapted to the changing world, indicating ecosystem-level factors had a minimal role.
"Our study has provided a simple environmental explanation," Payne added regarding the mechanisms behind species' survival and distribution post-extinction. The implications of this research extend to the contemporary biodiversity crisis, potentially offering insights into the effects of current environmental changes on modern ecosystems.
Al Aswad and colleagues plan to apply their model to other extinction events, seeking to understand broader trends in species' responses to environmental changes. The work underscores potential parallels between past and present events, indicating that significant organism uniformity may occur in the future due to climate change.
The research was originally reported by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.
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