Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T06:41:51.259Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Paleoecology of a Pliocene coral thicket from North Carolina: an example of temporal change in community structure and function

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Richard H. Bailey  and
Steven A. Tedesco
Richard H. Bailey
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Steven A. Tedesco
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A two meter stratigraphic interval within the Chowan River Formation of North Carolina contains a thicket of branching coral, Septastrea crassa (Holmes), associated with a diverse macrofaunal assemblage. The thicket modified a local shelf habitat by providing protection and feeding opportunities for certain vagrant epifaunal species. Faunal adjustments wrought by the thicket and thicket growth represent autogenic succession. Coral growth rates and preservation suggest a time span of about 100–300 years for thicket development.

Bottom shoaling, associated with a eustatic regression, caused movement of a depth controlled environmental gradient during thicket growth. As the habitat changed, a plane bottom macrofaunal assemblage replaced the thicket assemblage by reordering abundances of intergradational species and introducing a few new species. Faunal density, diversity, trophic structure, and modes of life of component species were altered during replacement.

Observed temporal community changes are best explained as gradual faunal adjustments along a shelf stress gradient. Short term allogenic or autogenic events may temporarily perturb gradual changes. Changes associated with thicket development are interpreted as a brief autogenic perturbation of long term community replacement.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 60 , Issue 6 , November 1986 , pp. 1159 - 1176
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abbott, R. T. 1974. American Seashells. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 663 p.Google Scholar
Alberstadt, L. P., Walker, K. R. and Zurawski, R. P. 1974. Patch reefs in the Carters Limestone (Middle Ordovocian) in Tennessee, and vertical zonation in Ordovician reefs. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 85:1171–1182.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bailey, R. H. 1977. Neogene molluscan assemblages along the Chowan River, North Carolina. Southeastern Geology, 18:173–189.Google Scholar
Bird, S. O. 1970. Shallow-marine and estuarine benthic molluscan communities from area of Beaufort, North Carolina. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 54:1651–1676.Google Scholar
Blackwelder, B. W. 1981. Stratigraphy of upper Pliocene and lower Pleistocene marine and estuarine deposits of northeastern North Carolina and Southeastern Virginia. United States Geological Survey Bulletin 1502–B, 16 p.Google Scholar
Blatt, H., Middleton, G. and Murray, R. 1980. Origin of Sedimentary Rocks. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New Jersey, 782 p.Google Scholar
Borman, F. H. and Likens, G. E. 1979. Catastrophic disturbance and the steady state in northern hardwood forests. American Scientist, 67:660–669.Google Scholar
Bretsky, P. W. and Bretsky, S. S. 1975. Succession and repetition of Late Ordovician fossil assemblages from the Nicolet River Valley, Quebec. Paleobiology, 1:225–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connell, J. H. 1975. Some mechanisms producing structure in natural communities: a model and evidence from field experiments, p. 460–490. In Cody, M. L. and Diamond, J. M. (eds.), Ecology and Evolution of Communities. Belknap Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Connell, J. H. and Slayter, R. O. 1977. Mechanisms of succession in natural communities and their role in community stability and organization. American Naturalist, 111:1119–1144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crame, J. A. 1980. Succession and diversity in Pleistocene coral reefs of the Kenya coast. Palaeontology, 23:1–37.Google Scholar
Crame, J. A. 1981. Ecological stratification in Pleistocene coral reefs of the Kenya coast. Palaeontology, 24:609–646.Google Scholar
Dodge, R. E. and Vaisnys, J. R. 1980. Skeletal growth chronologies of Recent and fossil corals, p. 493–517. In Rhoads, D. C. and Lutz, R. A. (eds.), Skeletal Growth of Aquatic Organisms: Biological Records of Environmental Change. Plenum, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drury, W. H. and Nisbet, I. C. T. 1973. Succession. Journal Arnold Arboretum, 54:331–368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dubar, J. R. 1971. Neogene stratigraphy of the lower Coastal Plain of the Carolinas. Atlantic Coastal Plain Geology Association 12th Field Conference Guidebook, 128 p.Google Scholar
Fretter, V. and Graham, A. 1962. British Prosobranch Mollusks, Their Functional Anatomy and Ecology. Ray Society, London, 755 p.Google Scholar
Gibson, T. G. and Buzas, M. A. 1973. Species diversity: patterns in modern and Miocene foraminifera of the eastern margin of North America. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 84:217–238.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilmore, M. D. and Hall, B. R. 1976. Life history, growth habits, and constructional roles of Acropora cervicornis in the patch reef environment. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 46:519–522.Google Scholar
Gould, S. J. 1980. The promise of paleobiology as a nomothetic, evolutionary discipline. Paleobiology, 6:96–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haflinger, K. 1981. A survey of benthic infaunal communities of southeastern Bering Sea shelf, p. 1091–1103. In Hood, D. W. and Calder, J. A. (eds.), The Eastern Bering Sea Shelf: Oceanography and Resources, Vol. 2. University of Washington Press, Seattle.Google Scholar
Hazel, J. E. 1971. Paleoclimatology of the Yorktown Formation (upper Miocene and lower Pliocene) of Virginia and North Carolina, p. 361–375. In Oertli, H. J. (ed.), Colloque sur la Paleoecologie des Ostracodes. Centre Recherches Pau-SNPA Bulletin, Vol. 5.Google Scholar
Hickey, D. R. and Younker, J. L. 1981. Structure and composition of a Pennsylvanian benthic community. Journal of Paleontology, 55:1–12.Google Scholar
Jindrich, V. 1977. Biogenic buildups and carbonate sedimentation, Dry Tortugas reef complex, Florida, p. 219–222. In Multer, H. G. (ed.), Field Guide to Some Carbonate Rock Environments. Kendall/Hunt, Dubuque.Google Scholar
Johnson, R. G. 1960. Models and methods for analysis of the mode of formation of fossil assemblages. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 71:1075–1086.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, R. G. 1972. Conceptual models of benthic marine communities, p. 148–159. In Schopf, T. J. M. (ed.), Models in Paleobiology. Freeman, Cooper and Co., San Francisco.Google Scholar
Kier, P. M. 1972. Upper Miocene echinoids from the Yorktown Formation of Virginia and their environmental significance. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, 13, 41 p.Google Scholar
Knutson, D. W., Buddemier, R. W. and Smith, S. V. 1972. Coral chronometers: seasonal growth bands in reef corals. Science, 177:270–272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lowenstam, H. A. 1957. Niagaran reefs in the Great Lakes area, p. 215–248. In Ladd, H. S. (ed.), Treatise on Marine Ecology and Paleoecology. Vol. 2. Paleoecology. Geological Society of America Memoir 67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCall, P. L. 1977. Community patterns and adaptive strategies of the infaunal benthos of Long Island Sound. Journal of Marine Research, 35:221–266.Google Scholar
McCall, P. L. and Tevesz, M. L. 1983. Soft-bottom succession and the fossil record, p. 157–194. In Tevesz, M. J. S. and McCall, P. L. (eds.), Biotic Interactions in Recent and Fossil Benthic Communities. Penum Publishing Company, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mullins, H. T. et al. 1981. Modern deep-water coral mounds north of Little Bahama Bank: criteria for recognition of deep-water coral bioherms in the rock record. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 51:999–1013.Google Scholar
Rhoads, D. C., Speden, I. G. and Waage, K. M. 1972. Trophic group analysis of Upper Cretaceous (Maestrichtian) bivalve assemblages from South Dakota. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 56:1100–1113.Google Scholar
Rollins, H. B., Carothers, M. and Donahue, J. 1979. Transgression, regression and fossil community succession. Lethaia, 12:89–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sadler, P. M. 1981. Sediment accumulation rates and completeness of stratigraphic sections. Journal of Geology, 89:569–584.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schindel, D. E. 1980. Microstratigraphic sampling and the limits of paleontologic resolution. Paleobiology, 6:408–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, R. W. 1976. Trophic classification of benthic communities, p. 29–66. In Scott, R. W. and West, R. R. (eds.), Structure and Classification of Paleocommunities. Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Stroudsburg.Google Scholar
Scott, R. W. 1978. Approaches to trophic analysis of paleocommunities. Lethaia, 11:1–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squires, D. F. 1964. Fossil coral thickets in Wairawapa New Zealand. Journal of Paleontology, 38:905–915.Google Scholar
Stanley, S. M. 1970. Relation of shell form to life habits in the Bivalvia (Mollusca). Geological Society of America Memoir 125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stanton, R. J. and Dodd, J. R. 1976. The application of trophic structure of fossil communities in paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Lethaia, 9:327–342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turmel, R. J. and Swanson, R. G. 1976. The development of Rodriguez Bank, a Holocene mudbank in the Florida reef tract. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 46:497–518.Google Scholar
Vermeij, G. J. 1978. Biogeography and Adaptation: Patterns of Marine Life. Harvard University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Walker, K. R. 1972. Trophic analysis: a method for studying the function of ancient communities. Journal of Paleontology, 46:82–93.Google Scholar
Walker, K. R. and Bambach, R. K. 1974. Feeding by benthic invertebrates: classification and terminology for paleoecological analysis. Lethaia, 7:67–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, K. R. and Alberstadt, L. P. 1975. Ecological succession as an aspect of structure in fossil communities. Paleobiology, 1:238–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watkins, R. and Hurst, J. M. 1977. Community relations of Silurian crinoids at Dudley, England. Paleobiology, 3:207–217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whetstone, J. M. and Eversole, A. G. 1981. Effects of size and temperature on mud crab, Panopeus herbstii, predation on hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria. Estuaries, 4:153–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar