Metal-induced malformations in early Palaeozoic plankton are harbingers of mass extinction
Vandenbroucke TR, Emsbo P, Munnecke A, Nuns N, Duponchel L, Lepot K, Quijada M, Paris F, Servais T, Kießling W (2015)
Publication Language: English
Publication Status: Published
Publication Type: Journal article, Original article
Publication year: 2015
Journal
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Book Volume: 6
Article Number: 7966
URI: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8966
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8966
Open Access Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8966.pdf
Abstract
Glacial episodes have been linked to Ordovician-Silurian extinction events, but cooling itself may not be solely responsible for these extinctions. Teratological (malformed) assemblages of fossil plankton that correlate precisely with the extinction events can help identify alternate drivers of extinction. Here we show that metal poisoning may have caused these aberrant morphologies during a late Silurian (Pridoli) event. Malformations coincide with a dramatic increase of metals (Fe, Mo, Pb, Mn and As) in the fossils and their host rocks. Metallic toxins are known to cause a teratological response in modern organisms, which is now routinely used as a proxy to assess oceanic metal contamination. Similarly, our study identifies metal-induced teratology as a deep-time, palaeobiological monitor of palaeo-ocean chemistry. The redox-sensitive character of enriched metals supports emerging 'oceanic anoxic event' models. Our data suggest that spreading anoxia and redox cycling of harmful metals was a contributing kill mechanism during these devastating Ordovician-Silurian palaeobiological events.
Authors with CRIS profile
Axel Munnecke
Professur für Paläontologie (Schwerpunkt Faziesanalyse)
Wolfgang Kießling
Lehrstuhl für Paläoumwelt
Involved external institutions
LILLE 1 University - Science and Technology
France (FR)
Université de Rennes 1 / University of Rennes 1
France (FR)
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
United States (USA) (US)
Universiteit Gent (UGent) / Ghent University
Belgium (BE)
Université de Lille (ULille) / University of Lille Nord de France / Université Lille Nord de France / Université Lille II
France (FR)
France (FR)
Université de Rennes 1 / University of Rennes 1
France (FR)
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
United States (USA) (US)
Universiteit Gent (UGent) / Ghent University
Belgium (BE)
Université de Lille (ULille) / University of Lille Nord de France / Université Lille Nord de France / Université Lille II
France (FR)
How to cite
APA:
Vandenbroucke, T.R., Emsbo, P., Munnecke, A., Nuns, N., Duponchel, L., Lepot, K.,... Kießling, W. (2015). Metal-induced malformations in early Palaeozoic plankton are harbingers of mass extinction. Nature Communications, 6. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8966
MLA:
Vandenbroucke, Thijs R.A., et al. "Metal-induced malformations in early Palaeozoic plankton are harbingers of mass extinction." Nature Communications 6 (2015).
BibTeX: Download