Biological hierarchies and the nature of extinction.

摘要: Hierarchy theory recognises that ecological and evolutionary units occur in a nested interconnected hierarchical system, with cascading effects occurring between levels. Different biological disciplines have routinely come into conflict over the primacy of different forcing mechanisms behind change. These disconnects arise partly from differences perspective (with some researchers favouring while others favour developmental/historical mechanisms), as well temporal framework which workers operate. In particular, long-term palaeontological data often show large-scale (macro) patterns evolution are predominantly dictated by shifts abiotic environment, short-term (micro) modern studies stress importance biotic interactions. We propose thinking about interactions is fruitful way to resolve these conflicts. suggests changes at lower levels can unexpected, complex higher scales due emergent simple systems. this way, on short- time equally valid, driven will manifest forms dual hierarchy fits our current understanding theory. Furthermore, we describe how be used understand major extinction events better. Multi-generational attritional loss reproductive fitness (MALF) has recently been proposed primary mechanism events, whereby explainable solely through processes result extirpation populations shutdown reproduction. While not necessarily explicit, push explain population-level dynamics could suggest environmentally mediated or slowed speciation across geological largely artefacts poor preservation coarse scale. demonstrate MALF framework, showing still results differential survivorship species clade level vary depending upon initial environmental mechanism. Thus, even if all mass cause affect system responses. Therefore, both relevant.