Using a mechanistic model based on neutral theory, we examined the effects of the ‘Carboniferous rainforest collapse’ on early tetrapod diversity. Our findings highlight the power of mechanistic models for decoding the fossil record and underscore the criticality of adjusting for sampling biases.
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References
Sahney, S., Benton, M. J. & Falcon-Lang, H. J. Rainforest collapse triggered Carboniferous tetrapod diversification in Euramerica. Geology 38, 1079–1082 (2010). A paper that examines the effect of the CRC on early tetrapod diversity.
Benton, M. J., Ruta, M., Dunhill, A. M. & Sakamoto, M. The first half of tetrapod evolution, sampling proxies, and fossil record quality. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 372, 18–41 (2013). A review that explores the patterns of early tetrapod evolution and outlines the factors that influence our interpretations of these patterns, such as sampling biases.
Dunne, E. M. et al. Diversity change during the rise of tetrapods and the impact of the ‘Carboniferous rainforest collapse’. Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 285, 20172730 (2018). A paper that examines the effect of the CRC using methods that statistically correct for fossil record biases.
Alonso, D., Etienne, R. S. & McKane, A. J. The merits of neutral theory. Trends Ecol. Evol. 21, 451–457 (2006). A review that presents the merits, criticisms and applications of neutral theory.
Holland, S. M. & Sclafani, J. A. Phanerozoic diversity and neutral theory. Paleobiology 41, 369–376 (2015). A study that uses ecological neutral theory to examine marine invertebrate diversity across the Phanerozoic eon.
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This is a summary of: Dunne, E. M. et al. Mechanistic neutral models show that sampling biases drive the apparent explosion of early tetrapod diversity. Nat. Ecol. Evol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02128-3 (2023)
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Ecological neutral theory reveals the effect of biases in the fossil record. Nat Ecol Evol 7, 1360–1361 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02138-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02138-1
