Absolute measures of the completeness of the fossil record
Article Abstract:
Measuring the completeness of the fossil record is necessary to understand evolution over long periods. Quantitative and widely applicable absolute measures of completeness at two taxonomic levels are compared, for a wider sample of higher tax of marine animals than had been available previously. The probability of genus preservation per stratigraphic interval is estimated, depending mostly on the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic records.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1999
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Ecosystem remodelling among vertebrates at the Permian-Triassic boundary in Russia
Article Abstract:
The mass extinction at the Permian-Triassic boundary, 251 million years ago is accepted as the most profound loss of life on record. Global data compilations indicate a loss of 50% of families or more, both in the sea and on land, and it scales to a loss of 80-96% loss of species, based on rarefaction analyses.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 2004
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