The end-Paleozoic biotic crisis is characterized by two-phase mass extinctions;the first strike,resulting in a large decline of sessile benthos in shallow marine environments,occurred at the end-Guadalupian time.In or...The end-Paleozoic biotic crisis is characterized by two-phase mass extinctions;the first strike,resulting in a large decline of sessile benthos in shallow marine environments,occurred at the end-Guadalupian time.In order to explore the mechanism of organisms' demise,detailed analyses of depositional facies,fossil record,and carbonate carbon isotopic variations were carried out on a Maokou-Wujiaping boundary succession in northwestern Sichuan,SW China.Our data reveal a negative carbon isotopic excursion across the boundary;the gradual excursion with relatively low amplitude(2.15‰) favors a long-term influx of isotopically light 12 C sourced by the Emeishan basalt trap,rather than by rapid releasing of gas hydrate.The temporal coincidence of the beginning of accelerated negative carbon isotopic excursion with onsets of sea-level fall and massive biotic demise suggests a cause-effect link between them.Intensive volcanic activity of the Emeishan trap and sea-level fall could have resulted in detrimental environmental stresses and habitat loss for organisms,particularly for those benthic dwellers,leading to their subsequent massive extinction.展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No. 40839907)
文摘The end-Paleozoic biotic crisis is characterized by two-phase mass extinctions;the first strike,resulting in a large decline of sessile benthos in shallow marine environments,occurred at the end-Guadalupian time.In order to explore the mechanism of organisms' demise,detailed analyses of depositional facies,fossil record,and carbonate carbon isotopic variations were carried out on a Maokou-Wujiaping boundary succession in northwestern Sichuan,SW China.Our data reveal a negative carbon isotopic excursion across the boundary;the gradual excursion with relatively low amplitude(2.15‰) favors a long-term influx of isotopically light 12 C sourced by the Emeishan basalt trap,rather than by rapid releasing of gas hydrate.The temporal coincidence of the beginning of accelerated negative carbon isotopic excursion with onsets of sea-level fall and massive biotic demise suggests a cause-effect link between them.Intensive volcanic activity of the Emeishan trap and sea-level fall could have resulted in detrimental environmental stresses and habitat loss for organisms,particularly for those benthic dwellers,leading to their subsequent massive extinction.
