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Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities
Published on: October 25, 2024
Plant ecological strategies shift across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary
Benjamin Blonder1, Dana L Royer2, Kirk R Johnson3
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America; Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, Colorado, United States of America.
Abstract:
The Chicxulub bolide impact caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction of plants, but the associated selectivity and ecological effects are poorly known. Using a unique set of North Dakota leaf fossil assemblages spanning 2.2 Myr across the event, we show among angiosperms a reduction of ecological strategies and selection for fast-growth strategies consistent with a hypothesized recovery from an impact winter. Leaf mass per area (carbon investment) decreased in both mean and variance, while vein density (carbon assimilation rate) increased in mean, consistent with a shift towards "fast" growth strategies. Plant extinction from the bolide impact resulted in a shift in functional trait space that likely had broad consequences for ecosystem functioning.
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