Elements of Paleontology: The Stratigraphic Paleobiology of Nonmarine Systems

Elements of Paleontology: The Stratigraphic Paleobiology of Nonmarine Systems PDF Author: Holland, Steven
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108898580
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 137

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Book Description
The principles of stratigraphic paleobiology can be readily applied to the nonmarine fossil record. Consistent spatial and temporal patterns of accommodation and sedimentation in sedimentary basins are an important control on stratigraphic architecture. Temperature and precipitation covary with elevation, causing significant variation in community composition, and changes in base level cause elevation to undergo predictable changes. These principles lead to eight sets of hypotheses about the nonmarine fossil record. Three relate to long-term and cyclical patterns in the preservation of major fossil groups and their taphonomy, as well as the occurrence of fossil concentrations. The remaining hypotheses relate to the widespread occurrence of elevation-correlated gradients in community composition, long-term and cyclical trends in these communities, and the stratigraphic position of abrupt changes in community composition. Testing of these hypotheses makes the stratigraphic paleobiology of nonmarine systems a promising area of investigation.

Elements of Paleontology: The Stratigraphic Paleobiology of Nonmarine Systems

Elements of Paleontology: The Stratigraphic Paleobiology of Nonmarine Systems PDF Author: Holland, Steven
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108898580
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 137

Get Book Here

Book Description
The principles of stratigraphic paleobiology can be readily applied to the nonmarine fossil record. Consistent spatial and temporal patterns of accommodation and sedimentation in sedimentary basins are an important control on stratigraphic architecture. Temperature and precipitation covary with elevation, causing significant variation in community composition, and changes in base level cause elevation to undergo predictable changes. These principles lead to eight sets of hypotheses about the nonmarine fossil record. Three relate to long-term and cyclical patterns in the preservation of major fossil groups and their taphonomy, as well as the occurrence of fossil concentrations. The remaining hypotheses relate to the widespread occurrence of elevation-correlated gradients in community composition, long-term and cyclical trends in these communities, and the stratigraphic position of abrupt changes in community composition. Testing of these hypotheses makes the stratigraphic paleobiology of nonmarine systems a promising area of investigation.

Stratigraphic Paleobiology

Stratigraphic Paleobiology PDF Author: Mark E. Patzkowsky
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226649377
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
This work weaves important strands of the paleontological literature into a coherent worldview that emphasizes the importance of understanding the geological record.

Stratigraphic Paleobiology

Stratigraphic Paleobiology PDF Author: Mark E. Patzkowsky
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226649393
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
Whether the fossil record should be read at face value or whether it presents a distorted view of the history of life is an argument seemingly as old as many fossils themselves. In the late 1700s, Georges Cuvier argued for a literal interpretation, but in the early 1800s, Charles Lyell’s gradualist view of the earth’s history required a more nuanced interpretation of that same record. To this day, the tension between literal and interpretive readings lies at the heart of paleontological research, influencing the way scientists view extinction patterns and their causes, ecosystem persistence and turnover, and the pattern of morphologic change and mode of speciation. With Stratigraphic Paleobiology, Mark E. Patzkowsky and Steven M. Holland present a critical framework for assessing the fossil record, one based on a modern understanding of the principles of sediment accumulation. Patzkowsky and Holland argue that the distribution of fossil taxa in time and space is controlled not only by processes of ecology, evolution, and environmental change, but also by the stratigraphic processes that govern where and when sediment that might contain fossils is deposited and preserved. The authors explore the exciting possibilities of stratigraphic paleobiology, and along the way demonstrate its great potential to answer some of the most critical questions about the history of life: How and why do environmental niches change over time? What is the tempo and mode of evolutionary change and what processes drive this change? How has the diversity of life changed through time, and what processes control this change? And, finally, what is the tempo and mode of change in ecosystems over time?

Terrestrial Depositional Systems

Terrestrial Depositional Systems PDF Author: Kate E. Zeigler
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0128032448
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 362

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Book Description
Terrestrial Depositional Systems: Deciphering Complexities through Multiple Stratigraphic Methods is the first collection of contributed articles that not only introduces young geoscientists to biostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and lithostratigraphy, but also provides seasoned practitioners with a standard reference that showcases the topic's most recent developments in research and application. When studying complex depositional systems, scientists often need to rely on more than one stratigraphic technique to truly understand the sequence of historical events. Through a blend of specific analytical techniques, experiments, sampling methods, and working examples, this book provides a practical reference for addressing a range of depositional system challenges. This multi-contributed reference combines reviews of stratigraphic methods with individual case studies, providing readers with a broad scope of techniques that will aid their work in the interpretation and understanding of complex depositional systems. - Offers multi-contributed expertise in biostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and lithostratigraphy, ensuring a thorough, yet topical coverage - Features case studies in each chapter that underscore the range of applications of individual stratigraphic methods - Provides detailed explanations of different analyses, data collection methods, and sampling techniques, making the content immediately implementable - Includes more than 100 illustrations, figures, and photographs that provide visual representations of core concepts

Testing Character Evolution Models in Phylogenetic Paleobiology

Testing Character Evolution Models in Phylogenetic Paleobiology PDF Author: April Wright
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 100905872X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
Macroevolutionary inference has historically been treated as a two-step process, involving the inference of a tree, and then inference of a macroevolutionary model using that tree. Newer models blend the two steps. These methods make more complete use of fossils than the previous generation of Bayesian phylogenetic models. They also involve many more parameters than prior models, including parameters about which empiricists may have little intuition. In this Element, we set forth a framework for fitting complex, hierarchical models. The authors ultimately fit and use a joint tree and diversification model to estimate a dated phylogeny of the Cincta (Echinodermata), a morphologically distinct group of Cambrian echinoderms that lack the fivefold radial symmetry characteristic of extant members of the phylum. Although the phylogeny of cinctans remains poorly supported in places, this Element shows how models of character change and diversification contribute to understanding patterns of phylogenetic relatedness and testing macroevolutionary hypotheses.

Permian Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Robledo Mountain, New Mexico

Permian Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Robledo Mountain, New Mexico PDF Author: Spencer G. Lucas
Publisher: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
ISBN:
Category : Footprints, Fossil
Languages : en
Pages : 103

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Book Description


Elements of Paleontology: Crinoid Feeding Strategies: New Insights from Subsea Video and Time-Lapse

Elements of Paleontology: Crinoid Feeding Strategies: New Insights from Subsea Video and Time-Lapse PDF Author: Meyer, David L.
Publisher:
ISBN: 110889948X
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 34

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Book Description


High-Resolution Approaches in Stratigraphic Paleontology

High-Resolution Approaches in Stratigraphic Paleontology PDF Author: P.J. Harries
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402090536
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 480

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Book Description
This volume delves into a spectrum of theoretical as well as applied aspects of high-resolution stratigraphic approaches in paleontology. It explores how increasingly detailed knowledge of the fossil record can enhance our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth and also allows geoscientists to address a broad range of important evolutionary and environmental questions in this arena. A 'zipped' version of the program CONOP9 2007 along with read-me files, sample files, and other documentation are available via a web site (see below). An earlier version of CONOP9 was initially supplied with 'High-Resolution Approaches in Stratigraphic Paleontology' (PJ Harries, editor) and described in Chapter 13 of that volume. This is an updated version of the program, and the documentation supplied with this version supersedes the information supplied in that chapter. To view the CONOP9 Programs, click on the link CONOP9 Programs on the right side of this page under Related links.

Virtual Paleontology

Virtual Paleontology PDF Author: Jennifer E. Bauer
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108899153
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 67

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Book Description
Imaging and visualizing fossils in three dimensions with tomography is a powerful approach in paleontology. Here, the authors introduce select destructive and non-destructive tomographic techniques that are routinely applied to fossils and review how this work has improved our understanding of the anatomy, function, taphonomy, and phylogeny of fossil echinoderms. Building on this, this Element discusses how new imaging and computational methods have great promise for addressing long-standing paleobiological questions. Future efforts to improve the accessibility of the data underlying this work will be key for realizing the potential of this virtual world of paleontology.

Phylogenetic Comparative Methods: A User's Guide for Paleontologists

Phylogenetic Comparative Methods: A User's Guide for Paleontologists PDF Author: Laura C. Soul
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108897355
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 77

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Book Description
Recent advances in statistical approaches called phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) have provided paleontologists with a powerful set of analytical tools for investigating evolutionary tempo and mode in fossil lineages. However, attempts to integrate PCMs with fossil data often present workers with practical challenges or unfamiliar literature. This Element presents guides to the theory behind and the application of PCMs with fossil taxa. Based on an empirical dataset of Paleozoic crinoids, example analyses are presented to illustrate common applications of PCMs to fossil data, including investigating patterns of correlated trait evolution and macroevolutionary models of morphological change. The authors emphasize the importance of accounting for sources of uncertainty and discuss how to evaluate model fit and adequacy. Finally, the authors discuss several promising methods for modeling heterogeneous evolutionary dynamics with fossil phylogenies. Integrating phylogeny-based approaches with the fossil record provides a rigorous, quantitative perspective on understanding key patterns in the history of life.