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Extinction space--a method for the quantification and classification of changes in morphospace across extinction

Dieter Korn¹, Melanie J Hopkins, Sonny A Walton

¹Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany. dieter.korn@mfn-berlin.de.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution

|October 8, 2013

Summary

Extinction modes, not initial distribution, drive changes in morphological disparity. A new "extinction-space" metric differentiates selective from nonselective extinction events, revealing distinct patterns in Ammonoidea history.

Keywords:

Ammonoidea extinction events morphological disparity simulated morphospace

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Area of Science:

Paleontology
Evolutionary Biology
Quantitative Biology

Background:

Morphological disparity, a key measure of evolutionary diversity, can be reduced by various extinction events.
Understanding the mechanisms driving these reductions is crucial for reconstructing evolutionary history.

Purpose of the Study:

To differentiate between random, marginal, and lateral extinction modes based on their impact on morphospace occupation.
To develop a quantitative method for comparing different extinction events.
To apply this method to major fossil extinction events in Ammonoidea.

Main Methods:

Simulating three distinct extinction modes (random, marginal, lateral) in morphospace.
Analyzing changes in morphospace occupation using sum of range, sum of variance, and centroid position.
Defining an "extinction-space" for comparing extinction events.
Applying the method to Frasnian-Famennian, Devonian-Carboniferous, and Permian-Triassic Ammonoidea extinctions.

Main Results:

The mode of extinction, not the pre-extinction distribution of taxa, significantly influences changes in morphological disparity.
The three disparity metrics effectively distinguish between selective (marginal, lateral) and nonselective (random) extinction events.
Ammonoidea extinctions during the Devonian were selective, while the Permian-Triassic extinction was nonselective, despite similar taxonomic diversity losses.

Conclusions:

The developed "extinction-space" provides a robust framework for classifying extinction events based on their impact on morphospace.
Selective and nonselective extinction events leave distinct quantitative signatures, even with comparable reductions in taxonomic diversity.
The study highlights the importance of extinction mode in shaping macroevolutionary patterns, as exemplified by Ammonoidea fossil record.