Poster Number 61
See more from this Division: General Discipline Sessions
See more from this Session: Paleontology (Posters) I - Diversity, Evolution, and Biogeography
Abstract:
The purpose of this investigation is to demonstrate the utility of the database for analyzing the distribution of marine invertebrate taxa. Additionally, these data are used to quantify changes in provinciality throughout the Phanerozoic. Biogeographic units (provinces) defined by genera and subgenera of important marine invertebrate groups in the context of tectonic reconstructions are shown for nine geologic intervals across the Phanerozoic. Invertebrate groups considered are bivalves, gastropods, brachiopods, and trilobites. Cephalopods were analyzed independently to provide a contrast in biogeographic resolution between benthic and nektonic organisms. Biogeographic units were defined using consistent quantitative protocols for each time interval. The results of this preliminary analysis suggest that spatial sampling density and distribution can strongly influence perceived patterns of provinciality. In general, provinciality remains low throughout the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. After standardizing for increased geographic coverage in the Cenozoic biogeographic complexity is observed to be only slightly greater than Paleozoic-Mesozoic levels
See more from this Division: General Discipline Sessions
See more from this Session: Paleontology (Posters) I - Diversity, Evolution, and Biogeography