クレータ紀末期の絶滅後に分離した植物と昆虫の多様性

Peter Wilf¹, Conrad C Labandeira, Kirk R Johnson

¹Department of Geosciences and Institutes of the Environment, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. pwilf@psu.edu

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|August 26, 2006

まとめ

食物網は,白亜紀・古亜紀絶滅の後に回復するために苦労した. 古代の植物に昆虫が侵食した被害は,絶滅から1~2百万年後の不均衡な生態系を示しています.

科学分野:

パレオントロジー・パレオントロジー
パレオボタニーは古植物学です.
昆虫の古生物学について

背景:

大量絶滅の後の食物網の回復は,生態学的研究の重要な分野である.
絶滅後の生態系動態を理解することは,過去の生命を再構築し,将来の回復力を予測するために不可欠です.

研究の目的:

最新白亜紀,旧亜紀,初期エオセンのアンジオスペルムの虫餌による損傷を調査する.
クレタ紀末期の絶滅の後に,米国の西部内部の食物網の回復の状態を評価する.

主な方法:

14の化石遺跡からの14999のアンジオスペルマの葉の昆虫の餌による損傷の分析.
異なる地質学期と場所における植物と昆虫の被害の富の比較.
葉の採掘を含む特殊な飼料の種類を調べる.

主要な成果:

ほとんどのパレオセンの植物群は,植物や昆虫による被害が少ない.
モンタナの6440万年前の植生は,特に葉の採掘で,非常に高い昆虫の被害の富を示しました.
デンバー盆地の630万8千万年前の植物は,高い植物多様性にもかかわらず,昆虫による被害が低く,専門的な栄養が最小限であった.

結論:

食物連鎖は,クレタセア紀末期の絶滅から100万~200万年後に深刻な不均衡を保った.
昆虫の草食パターンは,生態系の回復のペースと性質に関する重要な洞察を提供します.
植物や動物の地域的な変動は,食物網の再構築の速度に影響を与えました.

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