Coupling of taxonomic diversity and morphological disparity in Devonian trilobites?

Document type :

Compte-rendu et recension critique d'ouvrage

DOI :

10.1080/08912963.2023.2167601

Title :

Coupling of taxonomic diversity and morphological disparity in Devonian trilobites?

Author(s) :

Bault, Valentin [Auteur]
Évolution, Écologie et Paléontologie (Evo-Eco-Paleo) - UMR 8198 [Evo-Eco-Paléo (EEP)]
Crônier, Catherine [Auteur]
Évolution, Écologie et Paléontologie (Evo-Eco-Paleo) - UMR 8198 [Evo-Eco-Paléo (EEP)]
Monnet, Claude [Auteur]

Évolution, Écologie et Paléontologie (Evo-Eco-Paleo) - UMR 8198 [Evo-Eco-Paléo (EEP)]

Journal title :

Historical Biology

Pages :

1-12

Publisher :

Taylor & Francis

Publication date :

2023-01-24

ISSN :

0891-2963

English keyword(s) :

Trilobita
Palaeozoic
morphological disparity
body size
extinction
palaeobiodiversity

HAL domain(s) :

Planète et Univers [physics]
Planète et Univers [physics]/Sciences de la Terre/Paléontologie

English abstract : [en]

Morphological disparity and taxonomic richness are two major aspects of evolution used to understand biodiversity changes. These metrics are often decoupled in time, particularly during the early history of clades. To ...
Show more >Morphological disparity and taxonomic richness are two major aspects of evolution used to understand biodiversity changes. These metrics are often decoupled in time, particularly during the early history of clades. To assess the pervasiveness of this pattern during the postacme of a clade, both morphological disparity and taxonomic diversity of the welldocumented Devonian trilobites from North Africa were analysed. Morphospace occupancy and body size were estimated and compared to genus richness through time. This study highlights that, during the Early Devonian, morphological disparity of the pygidium and the cephalon strongly increased, whereas cranidium disparity remained low. Interestingly, the pygidium and cephalon morphological dynamics were decoupled. Taxonomic diversity also increased. Then, the Middle Devonian anoxic events affected the trilobite communities with simultaneous drastic loss of both morphologies and taxonomic richness. This coupling in diversity and disparity dynamics could be explained by either the intensity of extinctions or strong internal constraints. Finally, the weak Famennian recovery of both disparity and diversity did not reach the Early Devonian levels, thus making trilobites a 'dead clade walking' during their late evolutionary history. Devonian trilobite families are thus identified as 'Top-Heavy Clades', characterized by a diversity peak at the end of their history.Show less >

Language :

Anglais

Popular science :

Non

Collections :

Évolution, Écologie et Paléontologie (Evo Eco Paleo) - UMR 8198

Source :

Harvested from HAL

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