Plant ecological strategies shift across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.

The Chicxulub bolide impact caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction of plants, but the associated selectivity and ecological effects are poorly known. Using a unique set of North Dakota leaf fossil assemblages spanning 2.2 Myr across the event, we show among angiosperms a reduction of ecological s...

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Autores principales: Benjamin Blonder, Dana L Royer, Kirk R Johnson, Ian Miller, Brian J Enquist
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/f8ced84659554440aa8eeaf768fd362e
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Sumario:The Chicxulub bolide impact caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction of plants, but the associated selectivity and ecological effects are poorly known. Using a unique set of North Dakota leaf fossil assemblages spanning 2.2 Myr across the event, we show among angiosperms a reduction of ecological strategies and selection for fast-growth strategies consistent with a hypothesized recovery from an impact winter. Leaf mass per area (carbon investment) decreased in both mean and variance, while vein density (carbon assimilation rate) increased in mean, consistent with a shift towards "fast" growth strategies. Plant extinction from the bolide impact resulted in a shift in functional trait space that likely had broad consequences for ecosystem functioning.