Ordovician Graptolite Evolution

[Oxytropidoceras]

New light shed on ancient NZ fossils

Ancient marine creatures once believed to have

been mere ‘bit players’ in the fossil record have

now found fame. Victoria University Of Wellington

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/2020/03/05/1067165/new-light-shed-on-ancient-nz-fossils

 

The paper is:

 

Crampton, J.S., Cooper, R.A., Foote, M. and Sadler, P.M., 2020

Ephemeral species in the fossil record? Synchronous coupling

of macroevolutionary dynamics in mid-Paleozoic zooplankton.

Paleobiology, vol 46, no. 1, pp.1-13.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/paleobiology/article/ephemeral-species-in-the-fossil-recordsynchronous-coupling-of-macroevolutionary-dynamics-in-midpaleozoic-zooplankton/F87F8986D7197004222B4E3F5170B748

 

Yours,

 

Paul H.

[Tidgy's Dad]

I shall defend the graptoloids! 

As it mentions in the article, graptolites have been important players in stratigraphy for a long time. 

Graptolite zones are of great use in dating rocks. 

So I don't agree with the 'bit part players', erm...bit. 

I thought we already knew that they evolved very quickly. 

Hence graptolite zones and sub zones. 

[Scylla]

Cool

https://m.phys.org/news/2020-03-ancient-zealand-fossils.html