Across time, but also across space Fossils, especially those from marine systems, have long been used to estimate changes in patterns of diversity over time. However, fossils are patchy their occurrence, so such temporal estimates generally not included variations due space. Such a singular examination has the potential simplify, or even misrepresent, patterns. Close et al. spatially explicit approach measure time and They found that, like modern varies considerably space, with reefs...

Abstract To infer genuine patterns of biodiversity change in the fossil record, we must be able to accurately estimate relative differences numbers taxa (richness) despite considerable variation sampling between time intervals. Popular subsampling (=interpolation) methods aim standardise diversity samples by rarefying data equal sample size or completeness (=coverage). Standardising is misleading because it compresses richness ratios, thereby flattening curves. However, standardising...

Variation in the geographic spread of fossil localities strongly biases inferences about evolution biodiversity, due to ubiquitous scaling species richness with area. This obscures answers key questions, such as how tetrapods attained their tremendous extant diversity. Here, we address this problem by applying sampling standardization methods spatial regions equal size, within a global Mesozoic-early Palaeogene data set non-flying terrestrial tetrapods. We recover no significant increase...

The Carboniferous and early Permian were critical intervals in the diversification of four-limbed vertebrates (tetrapods), yet major patterns diversity biogeography during this time remain unresolved. Previous estimates suggest that global tetrapod rose continuously across interval habitat fragmentation following ‘Carboniferous rainforest collapse’ (CRC) drove increased endemism among communities. However, previous work failed to adequately account for spatial temporal biases sampling. Here,...

There is no consensus about how terrestrial biodiversity was assembled through deep time, and in particular whether it has risen exponentially over the Phanerozoic. Using a database of 60 859 fossil occurrences, we show that spatial extent worldwide tetrapod record itself expands Changes sampling explain up to 67% change known species counts, these changes are decoupled from variation habitable land area existed time. Spatial therefore represents real profound bias cannot be explained as...

The bony labyrinth of vertebrates houses the semicircular canals. These sense rotational accelerations head and play an essential role in gaze stabilisation during locomotion. sizes shapes canals have hypothesised relationships to agility locomotory modes many groups, including birds, a burgeoning palaeontological literature seeks make ecological interpretations from morphology extinct species. Rigorous tests form-function for vestibular system are required support these interpretations. We...

Abstract The Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Maastrichtian) Chalk Group and Eocene (Ypresian) London Clay Formation are two British marine deposits that yield globally significant assemblages of fossil actinopterygian (ray-finned) fishes. Materials from these units, especially the Chalk, featured prominently in work Arthur Smith Woodward. Here we summarize history study fossils Clay, review their geological palaeoenvironmental context provide updated faunal lists. remarkable for preserving...

Abstract A prominent hypothesis in the diversification of placental mammals after Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K/Pg) boundary suggests that extinction non‐avian dinosaurs resulted ecological release mammals, which were previously constrained to small body sizes and limited species richness. This ‘dinosaur incumbency hypothesis’ may therefore explain increases mammalian diversity via expansion into larger size niches, occupied by dinosaurs, but does not directly predict other classes. To evaluate...

Reefs are important hotspots of marine biodiversity today, and acted as cradles diversification in the geological past. However, we know little about how diversity reef-supporting regions varied through deep time, this differed from other regions. We quantified regional patterns non-reef-supporting fossil record Phanerozoic invertebrates. Diversity is on average two- to three-fold higher than regions, has been remarkably stable over timescales tens hundreds millions years. This signal...

Negative scaling relationships between both speciation and extinction rates, on the one hand, age or duration of organismal groups other, are pervasive recovered in molecular phylogenetic fossil time series.1,2,3,4 The agreement data hints at a universal cause potentially incongruence micro- macroevolution. However, existence negative rate series has not undergone same level scrutiny as data. Here, we analyze marine animal record across last ∼538.8 Ma Phanerozoic to investigate presence...

Mass extinctions are rare but catastrophic events that profoundly disrupt biodiversity. Widely accepted consequences of mass extinctions, such as biodiversity loss and the appearance temporary “disaster taxa,” imply species–area relationships (SARs, or how scales with area) should change dramatically across these events: Specifically, both slope (the rate accumulation new species increasing intercept density at local scales) power–law relationship decrease. However, hypotheses have not been...

The furcula displays enormous morphological and structural diversity. Acting as an important origin for flight muscles involved in the downstroke, form of this element has been shown to vary with mode. This study seeks clarify strength form-function relationship through use eigenshape morphometric analysis coupled recently developed phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs), including Flexible Discriminant Analysis (pFDA). Additionally, morphospace derived from furculae extant birds is used...

Abstract The latitudinal biodiversity gradient (LBG) is a fundamental biological pattern seen across taxa and ecosystems today, but its drivers remain uncertain despite intense study. Palaeontological data may add valuable evidence from diversity distributions during intervals with different Earth system configurations, including potential analogues of future climate regimes. However, accurately characterizing these challenging because the geographic scope fossil record coverage varies...

(2009). Earliest Gondwanan bird from the Cretaceous of southeastern Australia. Journal Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 616-619.

Abstract Estimating past biodiversity using the fossil record is a central goal of palaeobiology. Because raw estimates are biased by variation in sampling intensity across time, space, environments and taxonomic groups, standardization routinely applied when estimating diversity (e.g. species richness). However, less commonly used alternative currencies biological diversity, such as morphological disparity. Here, we show effects standardizing time series disparity to equal sample...

Abstract Tetraodontiformes (pufferfishes and kin) is a taxonomically structurally diverse, widely‐distributed clade of acanthomorphs, whose members often serve as models for genomics and, increasingly, macroevolutionary studies. Morphologically disparate P alaeogene fossils suggest considerable early experimentation, but these flattened specimens preserve limited information. We present three‐dimensionally preserved beaked tetraodontiform from the E ocene ( c . 53 Ma) L ondon C lay F...

Estimates of deep-time biodiversity typically rely on statistical methods to mitigate the impacts sampling biases in fossil record. However, these are limited by spatial and temporal scale underlying data. Here we use a spatially explicit mechanistic model, based neutral theory, test hypotheses early tetrapod diversity change during late Carboniferous Permian, critical intervals for diversification vertebrate life land. Our simulations suggest that apparent increases were not driven local...

Abstract The M iddle J urassic was a key interval of mammalian evolutionary history that witnessed the diversification therian stem group. G reat B ritain has yielded significant record fossils from this interval, represented by numerous isolated jaws and teeth athonian O xfordshire I sle S kye. This captures period in early cladotherian evolution, with amphitheriids, peramurans ‘stem zatherians’ displaying intermediate talonid morphologies document assembly tribosphenic molars. We present...

Mass extinctions are rare but catastrophic events that profoundly disrupt biodiversity. Widely-accepted consequences of mass extinctions, such as biodiversity loss and the appearance temporary 'disaster taxa,' imply nested species-area relationships (SARs, or how scales with area) should change dramatically across these events: specifically, both slope (reflecting rate accumulation new species increasing intercept density at local scales) power-law relationship decrease. However, hypotheses...