Paleoceanographic Events and Deep-Sea Ostracodes

Eight recognized or theorized paleoceanographic events during the past 70 million years were tested against changes in the global deep-sea benthic ostracode fauna. Two events, the sudden Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event at 66 million years ago and the more gradual 40-million-year event (formation...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1984-06, Vol.224 (4655), p.1334-1336
Main Authors: Benson, Richard H., Chapman, Ralph E., Deck, Linda T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cretaceous
Cretaceous period
Fauna
Fossils
Geology, Stratigraphic
Marine
Marine ecosystems
Observations
Oceanographic research
Paleobiology
Paleoclimatology
Paleontology
Sea water
Seas
Species extinction
Specimens
Stratigraphy
Taxa
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Summary:Eight recognized or theorized paleoceanographic events during the past 70 million years were tested against changes in the global deep-sea benthic ostracode fauna. Two events, the sudden Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event at 66 million years ago and the more gradual 40-million-year event (formation of the psychrosphere), show up most dramatically. Before the 40-million-year event, ostracodes freely radiated into the deeper water regions but were provincial. The development of thermal stratification isolated these deep-water taxa, mostly the survivors of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event, which adapted to a new, freeflowing but more frigid ecosystem and spread rapidly throughout the world.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.224.4655.1334