Projects per year
Abstract
The latitudinal biodiversity gradient (LBG), the increase in biodiversity from the poles to the equator, is one of the most widely recognized global macroecological patterns, yet its deep time evolution and drivers remain uncertain. The Late Triassic (237–201 Ma), a critical interval for the early evolution and radiation of modern tetrapod groups (e.g. crocodylomorphs, dinosaurs, mammaliamorphs), offers a unique opportunity to explore the palaeolatitudinal patterns of tetrapod diversity since it is extensively sampled spatially when compared with other pre‐Cenozoic intervals, particularly at lower palaeolatitudes. Here, we explore palaeolatitudinal patterns of Late Triassic tetrapod diversity by applying sampling standardization to comprehensive occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database (PBDB). We then use palaeoclimatic model simulations to explore the palaeoclimatic ranges occupied by major tetrapod groups, allowing insight into the influence of palaeoclimate on the palaeolatitudinal distribution of these groups. Our results show that Late Triassic tetrapods generally do not conform to a modern‐type LBG; instead, sampling‐standardized species richness is highest at mid‐palaeolatitudes. In contrast, the richness of pseudosuchians (crocodylians and their relatives) is highest at the palaeoequator, a pattern that is retained throughout their subsequent evolutionary history. Pseudosuchians generally occupied a more restricted range of palaeoclimatic conditions than other tetrapod groups, a condition analogous to modern day reptilian ectotherms, while avemetatarsalians (the archosaur group containing dinosaurs and pterosaurs) exhibit comparatively wider ranges, which is more similar to modern endotherms, such as birds and mammals, suggesting important implications for the evolution of thermal physiology in dinosaurs.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Palaeontology |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 17 Nov 2020 |
Keywords
- Late Triassic
- diversity
- latitudinal biodiversity gradient
- Tetrapoda
- thermal physiology
- general circulation palaeoclimatic model
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Dive into the research topics of 'Climatic drivers of latitudinal variation in Late Triassic tetrapod diversity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 3 Finished
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The evolution of vegetation and biodiversity change during the Paleogene and early Neogene
Valdes, P. J. (Principal Investigator)
9/01/17 → 8/07/21
Project: Research
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Cretaceous-Paleocene-Eocene Climate and Climate Sensitivity
Lunt, D. (Principal Investigator)
1/01/14 → 1/01/17
Project: Research
Datasets
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Data from: Climatic drivers of latitudinal variation in Late Triassic tetrapod diversity
Dunne, E. (Contributor), Farnsworth, A. (Contributor), Greene, S. (Contributor), Lunt, D. (Contributor) & Butler, R. (Creator), Dryad, 29 Oct 2020
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2280gb5ps, http://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.2280gb5ps
Dataset
Equipment
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HPC (High Performance Computing) and HTC (High Throughput Computing) Facilities
Alam, S. R. (Manager), Williams, D. A. G. (Manager), Eccleston, P. E. (Manager) & Greene, D. (Manager)
Facility/equipment: Facility