Ecological succession of a Jurassic shallow-water ichthyosaur fall.
dc.contributor.author | Danise, S | en |
dc.contributor.author | Twitchett, RJ | en |
dc.contributor.author | Matts, K | en |
dc.date.accessioned | 2015-05-01T14:08:07Z | |
dc.date.available | 2015-05-01T14:08:07Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2014-09-10 | en |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/3334 | |
dc.description.abstract |
After the discovery of whale fall communities in modern oceans, it has been hypothesized that during the Mesozoic the carcasses of marine reptiles created similar habitats supporting long-lived and specialized animal communities. Here, we report a fully documented ichthyosaur fall community, from a Late Jurassic shelf setting, and reconstruct the ecological succession of its micro- and macrofauna. The early 'mobile-scavenger' and 'enrichment-opportunist' stages were not succeeded by a 'sulphophilic stage' characterized by chemosynthetic molluscs, but instead the bones were colonized by microbial mats that attracted echinoids and other mat-grazing invertebrates. Abundant cemented suspension feeders indicate a well-developed 'reef stage' with prolonged exposure and colonization of the bones prior to final burial, unlike in modern whale falls where organisms such as the ubiquitous bone-eating worm Osedax rapidly destroy the skeleton. Shallow-water ichthyosaur falls thus fulfilled similar ecological roles to shallow whale falls, and did not support specialized chemosynthetic communities. | en |
dc.format.extent | 4789 - ? | en |
dc.language | eng | en |
dc.language.iso | eng | en |
dc.subject | Animals | en |
dc.subject | Ecosystem | en |
dc.subject | Fossils | en |
dc.subject | Marine Biology | en |
dc.subject | Oceans and Seas | en |
dc.subject | Polychaeta | en |
dc.subject | Reptiles | en |
dc.subject | Whales | en |
dc.title | Ecological succession of a Jurassic shallow-water ichthyosaur fall. | en |
dc.type | Journal Article | |
plymouth.author-url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25205249 | en |
plymouth.volume | 5 | en |
plymouth.publication-status | Published online | en |
plymouth.journal | Nat Commun | en |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1038/ncomms5789 | en |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth | |
dc.publisher.place | England | en |
dcterms.dateAccepted | 2014-07-24 | en |
dc.identifier.eissn | 2041-1723 | en |
dc.rights.embargoperiod | Not known | en |
rioxxterms.funder | Natural Environment Research Council | |
rioxxterms.identifier.project | The evolution of modern marine ecosystems: environmental controls on their structure and function | |
rioxxterms.versionofrecord | 10.1038/ncomms5789 | en |
rioxxterms.licenseref.uri | http://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved | en |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2014-09-10 | en |
rioxxterms.type | Journal Article/Review | en |
plymouth.funder | The evolution of modern marine ecosystems: environmental controls on their structure and function::Natural Environment Research Council | en |