Chronocorrelation of the late paleozoic to triassis world: a time of climate and biodiversity change

证明事件的时间等效性或年代相关性涉及所有可用的手段，包括生物地层学、数字测年、地磁学和地球化学特征。晚古生代和三叠纪（3.55亿至2亿年前）的年代相关性与我们今天在地球上目睹的变化有直接的关系，包括气候变化和生物多样性的巨大变化。 了解导致气候变化和生物多样性崩溃的详细动态将需要高分辨率和时间精度以及地球科学家社区的合作努力。该项目是这一努力的一部分，主要目的是利用牙形刺进行生物地层（时间）控制。牙形刺是一种类似鳗鱼的动物，其唯一坚硬的部分包括微小的牙齿。这个灭绝的群体的快速进化表现在牙齿形状的明显变化上。这项研究的相关性和重要性是无可争议的;我们今天正在经历或预期的许多变化都预示着晚古生代和三叠纪发生的事件。 宾夕法尼亚和早二叠世见证了导致海平面快速变化的冰期和间冰期事件，这一问题在今天讨论潜在的全球变暖后果时尤为重要。 在早二叠世，板块构造将一系列大陆碎片聚集在一起，形成一个巨大的超大陆（盘古大陆），导致大陆内部大部分地区的干旱程度增加，这是现代气候变化的另一个问题，因为我们继续看到地球大部分地区的温度创纪录。所有这些因素都导致了生态崩溃和大灭绝，特别是在二叠纪末期，这一灭绝通常被称为地球历史上最大的灭绝（95%的物种）。 三叠纪开始时是一个荒凉的世界，几乎没有生命，但在恢复期间，生命开始在一系列脉冲中再次多样化。今天，我们生活在一个间冰期，气候和生物多样性发生了深刻变化。未来会怎样？更好地了解过去事件的时间可能会提供答案。

Demonstrating the time equivalence of events, or chronocorrelation, involves all available means including biostratigraphy, numerical dating, remanent magnetism and geochemical signatures. Chronocorrelation of the Late Paleozoic and Triassic (355 to 200 million years ago) has immediate relevance to changes we are witnessing today on Planet Earth, including climate change and dramatic changes in biodiversity. Understanding the detailed dynamics that led to climate changes and biodiversity collapse will demand high resolution and temporal precision and the collaborative efforts of a community of geoscientists. This project is part of that effort and largely aimed at producing biostratigraphic (temporal) control using conodonts. Conodonts were an eel-like animal whose only hard parts included microscopic teeth. The rapid evolution of this extinct group is represented by distinct changes in form of the teeth. The relevance and significance of this research is indisputable; many of the changes we are experiencing or anticipating today are foreshadowed by events that occurred during the Late Paleozoic and Triassic. The Pennsylvanian and Early Permian were witness to periods of glacial and interglacial events resulting in rapid sea-level changes, an issue particularly relevant in today's discussions of the consequences of potential global warming. During the Early Permian plate tectonics brought a series of continental fragments together as a giant supercontinent (Pangea), resulting in the increase of aridity in much of the continental interior, another concern of modern climate change as we continue to see record temperatures over much of the planet. All of these factors contributed toward an ecologic collapse and major extinction, particularly near the end of the Permian - an extinction often referred to as the greatest extinction in Earth's history (95% of species). The Triassic began as a desolate world nearly barren of life, but during a recovery interval, life began to diversify again in a series of pulses. Today we are living during an interglacial period that has seen profound changes in climate and biodiversity. What will the future bring? Better understanding the timing of past events may provide an answer.