The dynamics of marine stepwise mass extinction

Abstract

Mass extinction is characterized by the loss of 50 - 90 + percent of genetically and ecologically diverse species within 1 - 3.5 Myr intervals. Three conflicting theories exist: (1) Graded Mass Extinction; (2) Stepwise Mass Extinction; and (3) Catastrophic Mass Extinction. These can only be adequately tested with high resolution (cm-scale) stratigraphic data spanning the entire mass extinction interval and adjacent strata. Such data are presently available only for the Eocene-Oligocene (E-O), Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) and Cenomanian-Turonian (C-T) extinctions. In general, prevalent uniformitarian stratigraphic philosophy and use of the modern Earth/Life system as a model for the Phanerozoic has hindered the search for, and expectations of, high-resolution stratigraphic data critical) to mass extinction research. The modern Earth/Life "model" predicts highly variable, environmentally and biologically resilient systems and predominantly autocyclic stratigraphic response to large-scale forcing mechanisms.