A multiscale view of the Phanerozoic fossil record reveals the three major biotic transitions.

摘要: The hypothesis of the Great Evolutionary Faunas is a foundational concept macroevolutionary research postulating that three global mega-assemblages have dominated Phanerozoic oceans following abrupt biotic transitions. Empirical estimates this large-scale pattern depend on several methodological decisions and are based approaches unable to capture multiscale dynamics underlying Earth-Life System. Combining multilayer network representation fossil data with multilevel clustering eliminates subjectivity inherent distance-based approaches, we demonstrate sequentially harbored four benthic mega-assemblages. Shifts in dominance patterns among these marine were (end-Cambrian 494 Ma; end-Permian 252 Ma) or protracted (mid-Cretaceous 129 Ma), represent major transitions Earth’s history. Our findings suggest gradual ecological changes associated Mesozoic Marine Revolution triggered transition comparable magnitude initiated by most severe crisis past 500 million years. Overall, our study supports notion both long-term geological events played crucial roles shaping oceans. Rojas et al. present new multi-scale model reveals record. This ocean through Phanerozoic.