From peak to decline: The story of Cenozoic neoselachian diversity

Autor(en)

Manuel Andreas Staggl, Eduardo Villalobos Segura, Michael J. Benton, Jürgen Kriwet

Abstrakt

Following the post-K-Pg extinction and a subsequent recovery phase, neoselachian diversity (sharks,
rays, and extinct immediate relatives) peaked in the Eocene. The subsequent, long-term decline persists until the present day, with only minor fluctuations. Faunal turnover displayed a different pattern and saw the first major changes since the Early Jurassic in the Miocene. We analysed neoselachian diversity patterns and evaluated the effects of environmental factors on Cenozoic neoselachians based on an extensive sampling standardized database. The results indicate that the availability of shallow marine habitats and atmospheric CO2 concentration are among the main drivers of Cenozoic neoselachian diversification and faunal turnover. Analysed subsets of the whole neoselachian dataset, unifying orders of similar ecological preferences, differ in some respects from the results for the whole neoselachian clade, reflecting commonly assumed habitat and behavioural traits of these ecological subgroups. These results provide a comparative framework for assessing potential impacts of the ongoing climate crises on extant neoselachians. The continued survival and diversity of neoselachians is of paramount importance for ensuring the overall resilience and operational capacity of marine ecosystems.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Paläontologie

Externe Organisation(en)

University of Bristol

Seiten

86-86

Anzahl der Seiten

1

Publikationsdatum

12-2024

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

105118 Paläontologie

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 13 – Maßnahmen zum Klimaschutz, SDG 14 – Leben unter Wasser

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/547fd2ee-5026-4ca1-aea7-f0880883ff97