Possible Biological Consequences of Plate Tectonics

Recent theoretical advances in plate tectonics have started a research trend dealing with the biological consequences of the geological evolution of the earth. The earth's lithosphere consists essentially of a system of large, nearly rigid plates added to by upwelling of new lithosphere and des...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioscience 1972-09, Vol.22 (9), p.519-525
Main Author: McKenna, Malcolm C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biota
Coasts
Continents
Earth crust
Geology
Lithospheres
Magnetic polarity
Plate tectonics
Ridges
Rotation
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Summary:Recent theoretical advances in plate tectonics have started a research trend dealing with the biological consequences of the geological evolution of the earth. The earth's lithosphere consists essentially of a system of large, nearly rigid plates added to by upwelling of new lithosphere and destroyed by subduction and remelting of old lithosphere. These plates have been in motion for at least the last three billion years and have a tremendous affect on the history of environments and biological activity.
ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.2307/1296311