Reef-building coral exhibiting 'disaster traits' akin to the last major extinction event

[msantix]

A new study shows that stony corals, which provide food and shelter for almost a quarter of all ocean species, are preparing for a major extinction event. Researchers identified an increased prevalence of certain traits found with previous extinction-survival characteristics among corals. 

 

By studying the fossil record of coral skeletons, they were able to determine that corals are showing some survival traits that match the last major extinction event 66mya. These traits include an increase in deep water residence, cosmopolitan distributions, smaller colonies, non-symbiotic relationship to algae and higher resistance to bleaching. The study also discusses in detail the comparison to primates and discusses how primates don't show the same survival characteristics that some corals do.

 

Finally the authors state that the corals that are likely to survive extinction are less likely to be from tropical coral reefs and more likely to be from smaller, solitary, slower growing & deep dwelling corals.

 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200303113246.htm 

 

Gal Dishon, Michal Grossowicz, Michael Krom, Gilad Guy, David F. Gruber, Dan Tchernov. Evolutionary Traits that Enable Scleractinian Corals to Survive Mass Extinction Events. Scientific Reports, 2020; 10 (1) -  the article is open access

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-60605-2#rightslink