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Isotopic Proxies for Ecological Collapse and Recovery from Mass Extinctions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2017

Steven D'Hondt
Steven D'Hondt*
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
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Carbon isotopic studies have documented the effects of mass extinctions and biological recoveries on the global carbon cycle. Stable carbon isotopes can also be used to document the disappearance and re-appearance of specific ecological strategies (such as life span, seasonality of growth, relative depth of habitat, and photosymbiont reliance) during mass extinctions and evolutionary recoveries. Nitrogen isotopes have never been used to study ecological collapse and recovery from mass extinctions. However, they have strong potential for testing the effects of mass extinctions and biological recoveries on the biologically mediated global nitrogen cycle. They may also be very helpful for documenting the effect of mass extinctions and taxonomic radiations on the trophic structure of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

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Research Article
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The Paleontological Society Papers , Volume 4: Isotope Paleobiology and Paleoecology , October 1998 , pp. 179 - 211
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 by The Paleontological Society 

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