Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David I. Whiteside, Sofia A. V. Chambi-Trowell, Michael J. Benton
Summary: Understanding the evolution of mammals, birds, and squamates is crucial for biodiversity science. This study presents the fossil of a modern-type lizard from the Late Triassic, revealing an older origin of squamates and substantial diversification following a specific climatic episode.
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Michael J. Benton, Feixiang Wu
Summary: The Triassic period witnessed significant changes in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The recovery from the Permian-Triassic mass extinction was followed by a period of renewal and novelty, which was enhanced by the effects of the Carnian Pluvial Episode. The oceans experienced changes in the carbonate factory and the Mesozoic Marine Revolution during the Middle and Late Triassic, contradicting the previous belief that these occurred in the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous. On land, there was a competition between synapsids and archosauromorphs, leading to a shift in posture and physiology, including the development of warm-bloodedness. This shift in ecosystems and adaptations was triggered by the mass extinction event and further accelerated by the Carnian Pluvial Episode.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ali Murat Kilic
Summary: The present study of Middle Triassic conodonts from the Kocaeli Peninsula in western Turkey identified over 10 species, providing insights into the Early and Middle Triassic time constraints. The Anisian conodonts from the Kocaeli Peninsula show a faunal affinity with Bulgaria and represent characteristics of the Tethys. Strong homeomorphy in the Anisian of western North America is discussed.
JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jacopo Dal Corso, Haijun Song, Sara Callegaro, Daoliang Chu, Yadong Sun, Jason Hilton, Stephen E. Grasby, Michael M. Joachimski, Paul B. Wignall
Summary: This review critically evaluates the geological evidence and discusses the current hypotheses surrounding the kill mechanisms of the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, including the different response times of terrestrial and marine ecosystems to the Siberian Traps eruptions and the causal relations between volcanism, environmental perturbations, and ecosystem collapse.
NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Peixin Zhang, Minfang Yang, Zhongfeng Jiang, Kai Zhou, Xiaotao Xu, Huijuan Chen, Xuran Zhu, Yanghang Guo, Huajun Ye, Yuchan Zhang, Longyi Shao, Jing Lu
Summary: Wildfires are a significant disturbance to the Earth's system and play a crucial role in the long-term interactions between the global environment, climate, and organisms. Evidence suggests that widespread wildfires, driven by global warming and increased lightning activity, have led to plant community turnover, decreased plant diversity, and the deterioration of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Artai A. Santos, Xin Wang
Summary: The study introduces a cone-like organ named Combina gen. nov., which shows similarities to carpels in angiosperms, indicating a possible connection between Triassic plants and early angiosperms.
Article
Geology
Stephen E. Grasby, Omid H. Ardakani, Xiaojun Liu, David P. G. Bond, Paul B. Wignall, Lorna J. Strachan
Summary: The Permian-Triassic mass extinction interval is characterized by abnormal enrichment of organic carbon found in black shales. Through studying deposits in New Zealand, researchers discovered that the organic matter in these shales is primarily composed of marine snow formed from algal blooms. Simulations suggest that ash fall from volcanic eruptions in the Siberian Traps enriched the Panthalassa Ocean with phosphorus and iron, leading to a significant biobloom during the mass extinction event.
Article
Geography, Physical
Da-yong Jiang, Min Zhou, Ryosuke Motani, Andrea Tintori, Nicholas C. Fraser, Jian-dong Huang, Olivier Rieppel, Cheng Ji, Wan-lu Fu, Zuo-yu Sun, Hao Lu
Summary: Two major evolutionary events in the early history of Mesozoic marine reptiles have been recorded in the Triassic of China. The first event was the emergence of new marine communities and their subsequent radiation in the Late Olenekian, followed by a transition from coastal to oceanic communities and the disappearance of coastal species in the Middle Triassic. These events played a crucial role in the formation of Mesozoic marine ecosystems.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
V. I. Davydov
Summary: The study explores the impact of Permian-Triassic volcanism in Siberia on the end-Permian mass extinction, mainly through the release of CO2 from the interaction of coal with intrusions. The distribution of sills within coal-bearing successions in Tunguska Basin minimally influences the metamorphic grade of the coals, and explosion pipes delivering CO2 into the atmosphere likely formed after the extinction event.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geology
Yu Pei, Martin Blumenberg, Jan-Peter Duda, Nils Hoeche, Joern Peckmann, Daniel Birgel, Jinxiong Luo, Kurt Kment, Joachim Reitner
Summary: This study investigated the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic boundary sections in South China and the Northern Calcareous Alps using various methods. The results revealed increased numbers of (ancestral) dinoflagellates and haptophytes during both critical intervals, followed by ecological lag-phases. The study also suggested that volcanism may have had a positive effect on certain planktonic primary producers by delivering essential nutrients.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xueqian Feng, Zhong-Qiang Chen, Michael J. Benton, Chunmei Su, David J. Bottjer, Alison T. Cribb, Ziheng Li, Laishi Zhao, Guangyou Zhu, Yuangeng Huang, Zhen Guo
Summary: The Permian-Triassic mass extinction caused a severe decline in biodiversity, and information on soft-bodied animals comes from trace fossils. Analysis of trace fossils revealed that infaunal ecologic structure was established in the early Smithian period. The decoupling of diversity between deposit feeders and suspension feeders in carbonate ramp-platform settings may have delayed the recovery of nonmotile, suspension-feeding epifauna in the Early Triassic.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Micha Horacek, Leopold Krystyn, Aymon Baud
Summary: Joachimski et al. conducted geochemical investigations on seawater temperature changes across the Permian-Triassic Boundary (PTB). However, due to an incorrect biochronology, their reported temperature changes showed discrepancies compared to the global stratotype section and point.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ricardo N. Martinez, Tiago R. Simoes, Gabriela Sobral, Sebastian Apesteguia
Summary: The study reports the discovery of a new species of reptile, Taytalura, from the Late Triassic epoch of Argentina, which is strongly inferred to be the earliest evolving lepidosauromorph. The research findings suggest that the skull structure of sphenodontians represents the ancestral condition for all lepidosaurs, and that early lepidosauromorphs had a much broader geographical distribution than previously thought.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher J. Lepre, Paul E. Olsen
Summary: The study validates pigmentary hematite as a proxy indicator for the Late Triassic environment through analyzing a red bed sequence in Arizona. The results show the evolving pattern of the Late Triassic monsoon, a long-term rise in aridity starting around 215 Ma, and increased oscillatory climate change at around 213 Ma. These changes are attributed to the drift of the Colorado Plateau northward as part of Laurentia and fluctuating CO2 levels.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Geology
Xu Dai, Dieter Korn, Haijun Song
Summary: Ammonoids suffered a diversity bottleneck during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction and rapidly diversified in the Early Triassic. The survivors of the extinction were mainly smooth and weakly ornamented forms, contrasting with the coarsely ornamented forms dominating before the extinction. The morphological shift from coarsely ornamented to smooth forms during the extinction possibly indicates an ecological turnover of ammonoids.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Michael A. A. Taylor, Michael J. J. Benton
Summary: This article presents a previously unpublished anonymous manuscript memoir of Mary Anning's life, written by George Roberts. The evidence suggests that Roberts wrote the obituary of Anning and also painted her portrait. It is also mentioned that Henry De la Beche published another obituary of Anning.
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael J. Benton
Summary: A recent study reveals that top predators in Southern Africa underwent successive replacement during the late Permian period, indicating that ecological crisis preceded the mass extinction.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mao Luo, Zhen Li, Mu Su, Geoffrey Michael Gadd, Zongjun Yin, Michael J. Benton, Yanhong Pan, Daran Zheng, Tao Zhao, Zibo Li, Yuxuan Chen
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuangeng Huang, Zhong-Qiang Chen, Peter D. Roopnarine, Michael J. Benton, Laishi Zhao, Xueqian Feng, Zhenhua Li
Summary: The history of Earth's biodiversity has been marked by periodic mass extinctions, with major declines in species richness. However, the accompanying ecological collapse has seldom been quantitatively evaluated. The Permian-Triassic mass extinction, as the largest known extinction event, permanently changed marine ecosystems and facilitated the transition from the Paleozoic to Mesozoic faunas. This extinction event provides insight into the relationship between species richness and ecological dynamics during severe extinctions, but the ecological collapse during this event has not been thoroughly examined.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shenyuan Peng, Jian Liu, Michael J. Benton, Xin Jin, Zhiqiang Shi
Summary: Abundant new dinosaur tracks were discovered at the Tianquan track site in the western Sichuan Basin, China, providing valuable information about dinosaurs from the Late Triassic. The tracks belong to small theropod dinosaurs and are dated to the mid-Norian age of 218.4 +/- 4.7 million years ago.
Article
Geography, Physical
Wen Wen, Qiyue Zhang, Juergen Kriwet, Shixue Hu, Changyong Zhou, Jinyuan Huang, Xindong Cui, Xiao Min, Michael J. Benton
Summary: Hybodont sharks were successful chondrichthyan lineages that existed from the Devonian to the Late Cretaceous. The article describes three taxa of hybodontid sharks and provides information on the tooth replacement rate in the Mesozoic of China.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Susana Gutarra, Thomas L. Stubbs, Benjamin C. Moon, Beatrice H. Heighton, Michael J. Benton
Summary: The evolution of locomotion in Mesozoic marine reptiles is characterized by two divergent paths, with a gradual increase in locomotory disparity throughout the Mesozoic. Aquatic specialization is observed in early ichthyosauromorphs, and there is overlap in morphospace between mosasauroids and ichthyosauromorphs.
Article
Paleontology
Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, Robert A. Coram, Michael J. Benton
Summary: Rhynchosaurs were dominant herbivores in the Middle and Late Triassic, and their successful ecological expansion and global extinction were influenced by their unique dentition. The CT scanning of Bentonyx sidensis skull revealed concealed details of their teeth, allowing us to study the tooth replacement process and understand the changes in dentition and jaw morphology as they aged.
Article
Geology
James Tayler, Christopher J. Duffin, Claudia Hildebrandt, Adam Parker, Michael J. Benton
Summary: The Rhaetian succession of Doniford Bay, North Somerset, a site of fossils for over 200 years, has not been described in detail. There are two bone beds, with significant differences in sedimentary and paleontological characteristics. The upper bone bed shows rich organic matter and an absence of calcite, suggesting a deeper location of deposition and differing faunal composition compared to the lower bone bed.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGISTS ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sukuan Hou, Qinqin Shi, Michael J. Benton, Nikos Solounias
Summary: Wang et al. (Research Articles, 3 June 2022, eabl8316) reported on a fossil of an early Miocene animal that displayed head-butting behavior, suggesting that sexual selection drove the evolution of head-neck structures in giraffoids. However, we argue that this animal is not a giraffoid, thus weakening the support for the hypothesis of sexual selection in giraffoid head-neck evolution.
Article
Ecology
Baoyu Jiang, Yiming He, Armin Elsler, Shengyu Wang, Joseph N. N. Keating, Junyi Song, Stuart L. L. Kearns, Michael J. J. Benton
Summary: The authors discovered an oviparous choristodere from the Lower Cretaceous period in northeast China, confirming the basal archosauromorph affiliation of choristoderes. Phylogenetic analyses on this specimen and other extinct and extant amniotes suggest that the ancestral amniote displayed extended embryo retention, including viviparity. The discovery of oviparity in this assumed viviparous extinct clade supports the hypothesis that extended embryo retention was the primitive reproductive mode in basal archosauromorphs.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Zichuan Qin, Chun-Chi Liao, Michael J. Benton, Emily J. Rayfield
Summary: This study investigates the functions and formation process of the hand claws of early-branching maniraptoran dinosaurs using finite element analysis and functional-space analysis. The results show distinct functional divergence among the hand claws, with early-branching ones being used for digging and late-branching ones for display. The study also confirms that most therizinosaurians were herbivores.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Zixiao Yang, Baoyu Jiang, Michael J. J. Benton, Xing Xu, Maria E. E. McNamara, David W. E. Hone
Summary: Pterosaurs displayed a wide range of body sizes, with some reaching sizes comparable to small airplanes. The growth strategies that allowed these giant pterosaurs to attain their large adult sizes are largely unknown. This study examines the wing development and performance of different pterosaur species, revealing differences in growth patterns and suggesting a shift towards enhanced parental care as a possible factor in allowing the evolution of large body sizes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhen Guo, Joseph T. Flannery-Sutherland, Michael J. Benton, Zhong-Qiang Chen
Summary: Using Bayesian analyses, this study finds that brachiopods and bivalves displayed similar large-scale trends of diversification before the Jurassic period. The extinction of major brachiopod clades during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction set the stage for the switch from brachiopods to bivalves, with high ocean temperatures post-extinction further facilitating the displacement of brachiopods by bivalves.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antonio Ballell, Bohao Mai, Michael J. Benton
Summary: Ankylosaurs were important megaherbivores in Jurassic and Cretaceous ecosystems. This study investigated the skull biomechanics and feeding function of ankylosaurs, revealing diet partitioning between different ankylosaur clades and divergent evolutionary pathways in skull biomechanics.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)