Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-5kfdg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-09-05T03:05:42.744Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Extinction from a paleontological perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2009

David M. Raup
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Extinction of widespread species is common in evolutionary time (millions of years) but rare in ecological time (hundreds or thousands of years). In the fossil record, there appears to be a smooth continuum between background and mass extinction; and the clustering of extinctions at mass extinctions cannot be explained by the chance coincidence of independent events. Although some extinction is selective, much is apparently random in that survivors have no recognizable superiority over victims. Extinction certainly plays an important role in evolution, but whether it is constructive or destructive has not yet been determined.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
European Review , Volume 1 , Issue 3 , July 1993 , pp. 207 - 216
Copyright
Copyright © Academia Europaea 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

1.Dodson, P. (1990) Counting dinosaurs: How many kinds were there? Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 87, 7608–7612.Google Scholar
2.Sepkoski, J. J. Jr, (1989) Periodicity in extinction and the problem of catastrophism in the history of life. J. Geol. Soc. London, 146, 7–19.Google Scholar
3.Sepkoski, J. J. Jr, (1990) The taxonomic structure of periodic extinction. Geol. Soc. Amer. Spec. Paper, 247, 33–44.Google Scholar
4.Raup, D. M. (1991) Extinction: Bad Genes or Bad Luck? New York: W. W. Norton & Company.Google Scholar
5.Alvarez, L. W., Alvarez, W., Asaro, F., and Michel, H. V. (1980) Extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction. Science, 208, 1095–1108.Google Scholar
6.Jablonski, D. (1991) Extinctions: a paleontological perspective. Science, 253, 754–757.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Raup, D. M. (1979) Size of the Permo-Triassic bottleneck and its evolutionary implications. Science, 206, 217–218.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Copper, P. (1988) Ecological succession in Phanerozoic reef ecosystems: Is it real? Palaios, 3, 136–152.Google Scholar
9.Raup, D. M. (1991) A kill curve for Phanerozoic marine species. Paleobiology, 17, 37–48.Google Scholar
10.Darwin, C. (1859) On the Origin of Species, London: John Murray.Google Scholar
11.Lyell, C. (1833) Principles of Geology, Vol. 3, London: John Murray.Google Scholar
12.Raup, D. M. (1992) Large-body impact and extinction in the Phanerozoic. Paleobiology, 18, 80–88.Google Scholar