Phanerozoic Trends in the Global Diversity of Marine Invertebrates
Abstract
It has previously been thought that there was a steep Cretaceous and Cenozoic radiation of marine invertebrates. This pattern can be replicated with a new data set of fossil occurrences representing 3.5 million specimens, but only when older analytical protocols are used. Moreover, analyses that employ sampling standardization and more robust counting methods show a modest rise in diversity with no clear trend after the mid-Cretaceous. Globally, locally, and at both high and low latitudes, diversity was less than twice as high in the Neogene as in the mid-Paleozoic. The ratio of global to local richness has changed little, and a latitudinal diversity gradient was present in the early Paleozoic.
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Alroy et al. (2008) biodiversity curve without correction for sampling closely resembled Sepkoski's curve.
“Another biodiversity curve, without correction for sampling (Alroy et al., 2008, fig. 4) closely ressembled Sepkoski ' s curve, however.”
From No (Cambrian) explosion and no (Ordovician) event: A single long-term radiation in the early Palaeozoic (2023) · cites this paper as Alroy et al., 2008
The Late Ordovician Extinction Event (LOME) was clearly visible in Sepkoski's curve (time bins of approximately 5 myr), but became invisible in the genus-level diversity curve of Alroy et al. (2008), based on sampling-standardized PBDB analysis, because the curve was limited to time bins of about 11 myr, thus having a relatively low resolution not revealing short-term fluctuations.
“Whereas the Late Ordovician Extinction Event (LOME) was clearly visible in Sep koski ' s curve (who used time bins of approximately 5 myr), it became invisible in the genus-level diversity curve of Alroy et al. (2008), based on the sampling-standardized analysis of the PBDB, because the curve was limited to time bins of about 11 myr, thus having a relatively low resolution, not revealing short”
From No (Cambrian) explosion and no (Ordovician) event: A single long-term radiation in the early Palaeozoic (2023) · cites this paper as Alroy et al., 2008
The plots of the curves of Alroy et al. (2008) and Alroy (2010) indicate a continuous increase of biodiversity throughout the Cambrian and Ordovician.
“The plots of the curves of Alroy et al. (2008) and Alroy (2010) also indicate a continuous increase of biodiversity throughout the Cambrian and Ordovician (Fig. 2A).”
From No (Cambrian) explosion and no (Ordovician) event: A single long-term radiation in the early Palaeozoic (2023) · cites this paper as Alroy et al., 2008
Alroy et al. (2008) first curve, with 48 temporal bins of roughly equal length (averaging 11 myr), showed a single long-term radiation from the Cambrian to the early Devonian, and removed the Palaeozoic plateau of the Sepkoski curve.
“The first curve (Alroy et al., 2008, fig. 1), with 48 temporal bins of roughly equal length (averaging 11 myr), clearly showed a single long-term radiation from the Cambrian to the early Devonian, and removed the Palaeozoic plateau of the Sepkoski curve.”
From No (Cambrian) explosion and no (Ordovician) event: A single long-term radiation in the early Palaeozoic (2023) · cites this paper as Alroy et al., 2008
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References 33 · Cited by 778
- Authors
- Alroy, J., Aberhan, M., Bottjer, D. J., Foote, M., Fürsich, F. T., Harries, P. J., Hendy, A. J. W., Holland, S. M., Ivany, L. C., Kiessling, W., Kosnik, M. A., Marshall, C. R., McGowan, A. J., Miller, A. I., Olszewski, T. D., Patzkowsky, M. E., Peters, S. E., Villier, L., Wagner, P. J., Bonuso, N., Borkow, P. S., Brenneis, B., Clapham, M. E., Fall, L. M., Ferguson, C. A., Hanson, V. L., Krug, A. Z., Layou, K. M., Leckey, E. H., Nürnberg, S., Powers, C. M., Sessa, J. A., Simpson, C., Tomašových, A., & Visaggi, C. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Southern California (US)
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California–Santa Barbara, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA.
- Smithsonian Institution (US)
- Corresponding author
- Alroy, John
- ORCID
- Alroy, John
- Aberhan, Martin
- Bottjer, David J.
- Foote, Michael
- Harries, Peter J.
- Hendy, Austin J. W.
- Holland, Steven M.
- Ivany, Linda C.
- Kiessling, Wolfgang
- Kosnik, Matthew A.
- Marshall, Charles R.
- Miller, Arnold I.
- Olszewski, Thomas D.
- Patzkowsky, Mark E.
- Peters, Shanan E.
- Wagner, Peter J.
- Clapham, Matthew E.
- Layou, Karen M.
- Leckey, Erin H.
- Sessa, Jocelyn A.
- Simpson, Carl
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2008-07-04
- Volume
- 321
- Issue
- 5885
- Pages
- 97-100
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2019736558
- Cited by
- 778
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 63 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 60 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 51 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 47 · 2012: 53
- FWCI
- 40.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Smithsonian Digital Repository (Smithsonian Institution) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Keywords
- Phanerozoic, Cretaceous radiation, Neogene, Paleozoic, fossil occurrences, sampling standardization, latitudinal diversity gradient, biodiversity trends
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Environment, Biological Evolution, Fossils, Geography, Invertebrates, Paleontology, Population Dynamics, Sampling Studies, Seawater, Time Factors, Databases, Factual, Geologic Sediments, Biodiversity
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