Persistent predator–prey dynamics revealed by mass extinction

摘要: Predator–prey interactions are thought by many researchers to define both modern ecosystems and past macroevolutionary events. In ecosystems, experimental removal or addition of taxa is often used determine trophic relationships predator identity. Both characteristics notoriously difficult infer in the fossil record, where evidence predation usually limited damage from failed attacks, individual stomach contents, one-sided escalation, analogs. As a result, role macroevolution dismissed favor competition abiotic factors. Here we show that end-Devonian Hangenberg event (359 Mya) was natural experiment which vertebrate predators were removed added an otherwise stable prey fauna, revealing specific persistent interactions. Despite apparently favorable environmental conditions, crinoids diversified only after their consumers, exhibiting predatory release on geological time scale. contrast, later Mississippian (359–318 camerate declined precipitously face increasing pressure new durophagous fishes. Camerate failure linked retention obsolete defenses “legacy adaptations” prevented coevolutionary escalation. Our results suggest major crinoid evolutionary phenomena, including rapid diversification, faunal turnover, species selection, might be predation. Thus, observed small such as Lotka-Volterra cycles cascades, could operate at geologic scales higher taxonomic ranks. knock-on effects traits common aftermath extinction.