Introduction to Extinction (Pdf)
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Introduction to Extinction Norman MacLeod School of Earth Sciences & Engineering, Nanjing University Extinctions: Week 1 Objectives Introduce the concept of extinction. Explain importance of extinction as a natural phenomenon. Review (briefly) record of organismal extinctions. Deep Time (ca. 600 million ybp - 5000 ybp) Historical (ca. 5000 ybp - Present) Future (ca. Present - 1000 yap) Review prospective extinction causes. Endangered Species Mass Extinction Underway Human Impact on the Planet What is Extinction? What is Extinction? Extinction - the complete termination of an organism or group of organisms, usually a species, without the survival of any descendants. Extripation - the condition of an organism, or group of organisms (usually a species) that has ceased to exist in a chosen geographic area while still existing elsewhere. Also referred to as local extinction. Pseudoextinction - the complete evolutionary transformation of one species into another such that no individual assignable to the prior species exists. Extinction Nomenclature Extinct species - a species all of whose members have died without leaving any progeny. Examples of Extinct Species Triceratops horridus Mammuthus primigenius Thylacinus cinocephalus (Woolly Mammoth) (Tasmanian Tiger) Extinction Nomenclature Extripation - a group of organisms (usually a species) that has ceased to exist in a geographic area while still existing elsewhere. Examples of Extripated Species (UK) Alces alces Lycaena dispar Hyla aborea (Elk or Moose) (Large Copper) (European Tree Frog) Extinction Nomenclature Ghost Species - a species (or other taxon) declared extinct, but which has been sighted, by non-professional observers, at a later date. Examples of Ghost Species Lipotes vexillifer Canis lupus hodophilax (Yangtze River Dolphin) (Japanese Wolf) Extinction Nomenclature Lazarus Species - a species (or other taxon) declared to have become extinct, but which has been (re)discovered by qualified observers at a later date. Examples of Lazarus Species Latimeria chalumnae Campephilus principalis Heosemys depressa (Coelocanth) (Ivory-Billed Woodpecker) (Arakan Forest Turtle) Extinction Nomenclature Zombie Species - extant species whose individuals have lost the ability to reproduce.* Examples of Zombie Species Dedeckera eurekensis Adenostoma sparsifolium Xylococcus bicolor (July Gold) (Redshanks) (Mission Manzanita) * This term has also been used to describe a fossil species that has been eroded and redeposited in younger sediments (= reworked), thus mimicking an extinction survivor species. Extinction Nomenclature Elvis Species - a species Example of an that has been redis- Elvis Species covered after being presumed extinct, but has been discovered not to belong to the extinct taxon subsequently. This is usually the result of mistaken taxonomy or extreme morphological convergence. Lobothyris subgregaria (formerly Rhaetina gregaria) Modern Extinctions Modern Extinctions Examples Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians Arthropods Fish Molluscs Plants Modern Extinctions International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources International organization which, since 1948, has been involved in at a collection, analysis, research, advocacy and education to “encourage and assist societies to conserve nature and ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.”. The IUCN maintains the most https://www.iucnredlist.org comprehensive database available of the extinction status of extant species. Modern Extinctions Extinct Species by Taxonomic Group Total Percent Mammalia 83 Total: 926 5,416 1.53 Aves 161 9,500 1.69 Reptilia 33 10,700 0.31 Amphibia 34 8,043 0.42 Fish 72 33,600 0.21 Arthropods 75 5,000,000 0.00 Mollucs 313 85,000 0.37 Plants 155 391,000 0.04 0 160 320 480 640 800 5,543,259 0.02 Extinct Extinct in Wild Modern Extinctions Extinct & Possibly Extinct by Taxonomic Group Total Percent Mammalia Total: 1,726 5,416 2.09 Aves 9,500 3.40 Reptilia 10,700 1.00 Amphibia 8,043 2.55 Fish 33,600 0.74 Arthropods 5,000,000 0.01 Mollucs 85,000 0.90 Plants 391,000 0.11 0 160 320 480 640 800 5,543,259 0.03 Extinct Possibly Extinct Extinct in Wild Possibly Extinct in Wild Modern Endangered Species Endangered Species by Taxonomic Group Total Percent Mammalia 1,220 Total: 22,630 5,416 22.53 Aves 1,492 9,500 15.71 Reptilia 1,367 10,700 12.78 Amphibia 2,157 8,043 26.82 Fish 2,494 33,600 7.42 Arthropods 2,474 5,000,000 0.05 Mollucs 2,231 85,000 2.62 Plants 14,195 391,000 3.63 0 3,200 6,400 9,600 12,800 16,000 5,543,259 0.40 Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Actual + Predicted Endangered Species Actual + Predicted Endangered Species (by Taxonomic Group; + 100 years) Total Percent Mammalia 1.172 Total: 26,919 5,416 21.63 Aves 1,660 9,500 17.48 Reptilia 1,293 10,700 12.09 Amphibia 2,050 8,043 25.49 Fish 2,489 33,600 7.41 Arthropods 2,470 5,000,000 0.05 Mollucs 2,813 85,000 3.31 Plants 12,971 391,000 3.32 0 3,000 6,000 9,000 12,000 15,000 5,543,259 0.47 Predicted Extinct Predicted Endangered Modern Extinctions IUCN Summary: 2020 Animals Plants Extinct 0.1% 4.1% Extinct in Wild 0.1% Critically Endangered 0.4% Endangered 1.0% Vulnerable 7.2% 9.0% Conservation Dependent 18.6% 6.5% Neat Threatened Least Concern Data Deficient 8.5% 15.0% 0.0% 6.0% 42.9% 18.7% 0.5% 55.2% n = 71,861 n = 33,238 6.2% Ancient Extinctions Ancient Extinction Data The Sepkoski Database Sepkoski, J. J., Jr., 1982. A Sepkoski Jr., J. J. (2002). A compendium of fossil marine compendium of fossil families: Milwaukee Public marine animals. In D. Museum Contributions in Jablonski & M. Foote Biology and Geology, v. 51, p. (Eds.), Bulletins of 1-125. American Palaeontology 363. Ithaca, New York: A listing of over 3,500 family- Palaeontological Research level records consisting of of taxonomic assignments and Institution. stratigraphic ranges referenced to stratigraphic stages and a A listing of over 37,000 common geological time scale. genus-level records consisting of of taxonomic Updated subsequently: assignments and Sepkoski, stratigraphic ranges J. J. Jr, 1992, A compendium of referenced to stratigraphic fossil marine animal families, stages and a common 2nd edition, Milwaukee, geological time scale. Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Public Museum, Contributions in Biology and Geology, 156 p. Ancient Biodiversity Phanerozoic Family Richness 800 600 400 200 NumberFamilies of 0 Cambrian Ordovician Sil. Devonian Carbon. Permian Tri. Jurassic Cretaceous Tertiary 500 400 300 200 100 0 Geological Time Data from Sepkoski (1981) Ancient Biodiversity Phanerozoic Family Richness 800 600 400 Modern Fauna 200 NumberFamilies of Paleozoic Fauna Cambrian Fauna 0 Cambrian Ordovician Sil. Devonian Carbon. Permian Tri. Jurassic Cretaceous Tertiary 500 400 300 200 100 0 Geological Time Data from Sepkoski (1981) Ancient Biodiversity Phanerozoic Family Richness 800 600 400 Gastropoda Bivalvia Osteichthyes Nakacistraca Articulata Echinoidea Crinoidea Gymnolaemata 200 Ostracoda Demospongia NumberFamilies of Cephalopoda Chondrichthyes Anthrozoa Trilobita Polychaeta Stenolaemata Monoplacophora Stelloeroidea Inarticulata 0 Cambrian Ordovician Sil. Devonian Carbon. Permian Tri. Jurassic Cretaceous Tertiary 500 400 300 200 100 0 Geological Time Data from Sepkoski (1981) Cambrian Evolutionary Biota Trilobita Polychaeta Monoplacophora Inarticulata Paleozoic Evolutionary Biota Articulata Crinoidea Ostracoda Cephalopoda Anthrozoa Stenolamata Stelleroidea Modern Evolutionary Biota Gastropoda Bivalvia Osteichthyes Nakacistraca Echinoidea Gymnolaemata Demospongia Chondrichtyes Ancient Biodiversity Phanerozoic Family Richness 800 End-Cretaceous Late Devonian End-Ordovician End-Permian End-Triassic 600 400 Gastropoda Bivalvia Osteichthyes Nakacistraca Articulata Echinoidea Crinoidea Gymnolaemata 200 Ostracoda Demospongia NumberFamilies of Cephalopoda Chondrichthyes Anthrozoa Trilobita Polychaeta Stenolaemata Monoplacophora Stelloeroidea Inarticulata 0 Cambrian Ordovician Sil. Devonian Carbon. Permian Tri. Jurassic Cretaceous Tertiary 500 400 300 200 100 0 Geological Time Data from Sepkoski (1981) Ancient Biodiversity Phanerozoic Genus Richness 3000 End-Cretaceous Late Devonian 2500 End-Ordovician End-Permian 2000 End-Triassic 1500 1000 Modern Fauna NumberGenera of 500 Paleozoic Fauna Cambrian Fauna 0 Cambrian Ordov. Sil. Dev. Carbon. Permian Tri. Jurassic Cretaceous Paleogene 500 400 300 200 100 0 Geological Time Data from Sepkoski (2001) Ancient Extinction Peaks Phanerozoic Extinction-Intensity Spectrum End-Ordovician End-Devonian End-Permian End-Triassic End-Cretaceous 80 Palaeozoic Mesozoic Cenozoic 60 40 PercentExtinction 20 0 Data from Sepkoski (1998) Transcending Taxonomic Limits Field-of-Bullets Model A simulation based on the concept of constant extinction susceptibility that takes a sample of families, genera and species and asks the question “on average how many species extinctions does it take to eliminate a genus or a family?” 10 Families 10 Genera/Family 10 Species/Genus Transcending Taxonomic Limits Taxonomic Rarefaction These curves summarize a Orders series of simulation experiments Families in which random elimination of species (= equal probability of Genera extinction) was used to estimate how many species extinctions would be necessary into to remove larger taxonomic groups. These curves look reasonable insofar as their inflection points grow more pronounced and migrate to the left as taxonomic generality increases. But they do assume a taxonomic structure that’s far from reality. Transcending Taxonomic Limits