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Mass extinctions over the last 500 myr : An astronomical cause?

Erlykin, Anatoly D. ; Harper, David A T LU ; Sloan, Terry and Wolfendale, Arnold W. (2017) In Palaeontology 60(2). p.159-167
Abstract

A Fourier analysis of the magnitudes and timing of the Phanerozoic mass extinctions (MEs) demonstrates that many of the periodicities claimed in other analyses are not statistically significant. Moreover we show that the periodicities associated with oscillations of the Solar System about the galactic plane are too irregular to give narrow peaks in the Fourier periodograms. This leads us to conclude that, apart from possibly a small number of major events, astronomical causes for MEs can largely be ruled out.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Astronomical processes, Mass extinctions, Periodicity, Phanerozoic
in
Palaeontology
volume
60
issue
2
pages
159 - 167
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85012303970
  • wos:000394993300003
ISSN
0031-0239
DOI
10.1111/pala.12283
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c44a6e50-aa68-4880-8039-364adefc89e0
date added to LUP
2017-02-23 12:18:17
date last changed
2024-05-12 08:49:46
@article{c44a6e50-aa68-4880-8039-364adefc89e0,
  abstract     = {{<p>A Fourier analysis of the magnitudes and timing of the Phanerozoic mass extinctions (MEs) demonstrates that many of the periodicities claimed in other analyses are not statistically significant. Moreover we show that the periodicities associated with oscillations of the Solar System about the galactic plane are too irregular to give narrow peaks in the Fourier periodograms. This leads us to conclude that, apart from possibly a small number of major events, astronomical causes for MEs can largely be ruled out.</p>}},
  author       = {{Erlykin, Anatoly D. and Harper, David A T and Sloan, Terry and Wolfendale, Arnold W.}},
  issn         = {{0031-0239}},
  keywords     = {{Astronomical processes; Mass extinctions; Periodicity; Phanerozoic}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{159--167}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Palaeontology}},
  title        = {{Mass extinctions over the last 500 myr : An astronomical cause?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala.12283}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/pala.12283}},
  volume       = {{60}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}