A long-term association between global temperature and biodiversity, origination and extinction in the fossil record

TY - JOUR

T1 - A long-term association between global temperature and biodiversity, origination and extinction in the fossil record

AU - Mayhew, Peter J.

AU - Jenkins, Gareth B.

AU - Benton, Timothy G.

PY - 2008/1/7

Y1 - 2008/1/7

N2 - The past relationship between global temperature and levels of biological diversity is of increasing concern due to anthropogenic climate warming. However, no consistent link between these variables has yet been demonstrated. We analysed the fossil record for the last 520 Myr against estimates of low latitude sea surface temperature for the same period. We found that global biodiversity (the richness of families and genera) is related to temperature and has been relatively low during warm 'greenhouse' phases, while during the same phases extinction and origination rates of taxonomic lineages have been relatively high. These findings are consistent for terrestrial and marine environments and are robust to a number of alternative assumptions and potential biases. Our results provide the first clear evidence that global climate may explain substantial variation in the fossil record in a simple and consistent manner. Our findings may have implications for extinction and biodiversity change under future climate warming.

AB - The past relationship between global temperature and levels of biological diversity is of increasing concern due to anthropogenic climate warming. However, no consistent link between these variables has yet been demonstrated. We analysed the fossil record for the last 520 Myr against estimates of low latitude sea surface temperature for the same period. We found that global biodiversity (the richness of families and genera) is related to temperature and has been relatively low during warm 'greenhouse' phases, while during the same phases extinction and origination rates of taxonomic lineages have been relatively high. These findings are consistent for terrestrial and marine environments and are robust to a number of alternative assumptions and potential biases. Our results provide the first clear evidence that global climate may explain substantial variation in the fossil record in a simple and consistent manner. Our findings may have implications for extinction and biodiversity change under future climate warming.

KW - fossil record

KW - global biodiversity

KW - global climate change

KW - global temperature

KW - macroevolution

KW - mass extinction

KW - PERMIAN MASS EXTINCTION

KW - CLIMATE-CHANGE

KW - TAXONOMIC DIVERSITY

KW - MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION

KW - ATMOSPHERIC CO2

KW - LIFE

KW - DIVERSIFICATION

KW - COMPONENTS

KW - ERUPTIONS

KW - BOUNDARY

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=36348959190&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2007.1302

DO - 10.1098/rspb.2007.1302

M3 - Article

VL - 275

SP - 47

EP - 53

JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

SN - 0962-8452

IS - 1630

ER -