Morphospace expansion paces taxonomic diversification after end Cretaceous mass extinction.

摘要: Highly resolved palaeontological records can address a key question about our current climate crisis: how long will it be before the biosphere rebounds from actions? There are many ways to conceptualize recovery of biosphere; here, we focus on global species diversity. Mass extinction may expected followed by rapid speciation, but fossil record contains instances where speciation is delayed—a phenomenon which have poor understanding. A probable explanation for this delay that extinctions eliminate morphospace as they curtail diversity, and in diversification result time needed new innovations rebuild morphospace, then filled out species. Here, test reconstruction hypothesis using morphological complexity planktic foraminifer tests after Cretaceous–Palaeogene mass extinction. We show increases precede changes indicating plankton colonizing slowly filling in. Preliminary associated with increase groups refilling relict Cretaceous ecospace. Subsequent jumps driven evolutionary (development spines photosymbionts), open niche space. The diversity paced construction implying fundamental speed limit an event. Analysis foraminifera dynamics wake shows morphologic preceded constrained following