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The Furongian (late Cambrian) Biodiversity Gap : Real or apparent?

Harper, David A.T. LU ; Topper, Timothy P. ; Cascales-Miñana, Borja ; Servais, Thomas ; Zhang, Yuan Dong and Ahlberg, Per LU (2019) In Palaeoworld 28(1-2). p.4-12
Abstract

Two major, extended diversifications punctuated the evolution of marine life during the Early Palaeozoic. The interregnum, however, between the Cambrian Explosion and the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, is exemplified by the Furongian Gap when there was a marked drop in biodiversity. It is unclear whether the gap is apparent, due to sampling failure or lack of rock, or real — associated with unique and fluctuating environments, a distinctive palaeogeography and extreme climates during the late Cambrian. Indications suggest that there has been little attention paid to this interval compared with those below and above, while some of the classical areas for Cambrian research, such as Bohemia, have poor coverage through the... (More)

Two major, extended diversifications punctuated the evolution of marine life during the Early Palaeozoic. The interregnum, however, between the Cambrian Explosion and the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, is exemplified by the Furongian Gap when there was a marked drop in biodiversity. It is unclear whether the gap is apparent, due to sampling failure or lack of rock, or real — associated with unique and fluctuating environments, a distinctive palaeogeography and extreme climates during the late Cambrian. Indications suggest that there has been little attention paid to this interval compared with those below and above, while some of the classical areas for Cambrian research, such as Bohemia, have poor coverage through the Furongian. Moreover, based on information available in databases and the literature, together with the ghost ranges of many higher taxa through the Furongian, data suggest that biodiversity in this stage has been significantly underestimated. Emphasis, to date, has been placed on widespread, deeper-water dark shale facies of the interval, with generally low diversity faunas, whereas shallow-water communities have often been neglected.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Biodiversity, Cambrian, Extinctions, GOBE, Palaeoenvironments, Radiations
in
Palaeoworld
volume
28
issue
1-2
pages
4 - 12
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85062021616
ISSN
1871-174X
DOI
10.1016/j.palwor.2019.01.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5cc5b1ca-1917-4c12-a66e-7e2531a9f095
date added to LUP
2019-03-08 08:08:45
date last changed
2022-04-25 21:31:51
@article{5cc5b1ca-1917-4c12-a66e-7e2531a9f095,
  abstract     = {{<p>Two major, extended diversifications punctuated the evolution of marine life during the Early Palaeozoic. The interregnum, however, between the Cambrian Explosion and the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, is exemplified by the Furongian Gap when there was a marked drop in biodiversity. It is unclear whether the gap is apparent, due to sampling failure or lack of rock, or real — associated with unique and fluctuating environments, a distinctive palaeogeography and extreme climates during the late Cambrian. Indications suggest that there has been little attention paid to this interval compared with those below and above, while some of the classical areas for Cambrian research, such as Bohemia, have poor coverage through the Furongian. Moreover, based on information available in databases and the literature, together with the ghost ranges of many higher taxa through the Furongian, data suggest that biodiversity in this stage has been significantly underestimated. Emphasis, to date, has been placed on widespread, deeper-water dark shale facies of the interval, with generally low diversity faunas, whereas shallow-water communities have often been neglected.</p>}},
  author       = {{Harper, David A.T. and Topper, Timothy P. and Cascales-Miñana, Borja and Servais, Thomas and Zhang, Yuan Dong and Ahlberg, Per}},
  issn         = {{1871-174X}},
  keywords     = {{Biodiversity; Cambrian; Extinctions; GOBE; Palaeoenvironments; Radiations}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{4--12}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Palaeoworld}},
  title        = {{The Furongian (late Cambrian) Biodiversity Gap : Real or apparent?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2019.01.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.palwor.2019.01.007}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}