El rápido resurgimiento de la productividad marina después de la extinción masiva del Cretácico-Paleógeno
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Julio Sepúlveda1, Jens E Wendler, Roger E Summons
1Organic Geochemistry Group, Department of Geosciences, and Center for Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany. juliosep@mit.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|October 3, 2009
Resumen
La productividad primaria marina se vio interrumpida brevemente después de la extinción masiva del Cretácico-Paleógeno. La evidencia sugiere un rápido resurgimiento de la fotosíntesis y la reorganización ecológica dentro de un siglo, desafiando suposiciones anteriores.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Paleontología Paleontología.
- La geoquímica es la geoquímica.
- Biología Marina Biología Marina.
Sus antecedentes:
- El límite Cretácico-Paleógeno (K-Pg) marca un evento de extinción masiva.
- La comprensión de la recuperación biótica, especialmente la producción primaria marina, es crucial.
- Los productores primarios sin esqueletos dejan un registro fósil limitado.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para reconstruir la recuperación de la producción primaria marina después del impacto K-Pg.
- Para proporcionar un registro geoquímico de alta resolución de la capa límite de Fiskeler.
- Investigar la duración de las perturbaciones fotosintéticas y los cambios ecológicos subsiguientes.
Principales métodos:
- Análisis de isótopos estables (carbono y nitrógeno) en la capa de Fiskeler.
- Cuantificación de esteranos de algas y hopanos bacterianos.
- Perfilado geoquímico de alta resolución en Kulstirenden, Dinamarca.
Principales resultados:
- La productividad primaria de las algas se redujo significativamente durante menos de un siglo después del impacto.
- Se observó un rápido resurgimiento de la fijación de carbono.
- La evidencia apunta a una rápida reorganización ecológica.
Conclusiones:
- El impacto de K-Pg causó una interrupción de corta duración de la fotosíntesis marina.
- La recuperación rápida y la reorganización se produjeron dentro de un siglo.
- Los proxies geoquímicos ofrecen información sobre la dinámica del ecosistema planctónico.
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