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Onset of main Phanerozoic marine radiation sparked by emerging Mid Ordovician icehouse

Rasmussen, C.M. Ø; Ullmann, C.V.; Jakobsen, K.G.; Lindskog, A.; Hansen, J.; Hansen, T.; Eriksson, M.E.; Dronov, A.; Frei, R.; Korte, C.; Nielsen, A.T.; Harper, D.A.T.

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Authors

C.M. Ø Rasmussen

C.V. Ullmann

K.G. Jakobsen

A. Lindskog

J. Hansen

T. Hansen

M.E. Eriksson

A. Dronov

R. Frei

C. Korte

A.T. Nielsen



Abstract

The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE) was the most rapid and sustained increase in marine Phanerozoic biodiversity. What generated this biotic response across Palaeozoic seascapes is a matter of debate; several intrinsic and extrinsic drivers have been suggested. One is Ordovician climate, which in recent years has undergone a paradigm shift from a text-book example of an extended greenhouse to an interval with transient cooling intervals – at least during the Late Ordovician. Here, we show the first unambiguous evidence for a sudden Mid Ordovician icehouse, comparable in magnitude to the Quaternary glaciations. We further demonstrate the initiation of this icehouse to coincide with the onset of the GOBE. This finding is based on both abiotic and biotic proxies obtained from the most comprehensive geochemical and palaeobiological dataset yet collected through this interval. We argue that the icehouse conditions increased latitudinal and bathymetrical temperature and oxygen gradients initiating an Early Palaeozoic Great Ocean Conveyor Belt. This fuelled the GOBE, as upwelling zones created new ecospace for the primary producers. A subsequent rise in δ13C ratios known as the Middle Darriwilian Isotopic Carbon Excursion (MDICE) may reflect a global response to increased bioproductivity encouraged by the onset of the GOBE.

Citation

Rasmussen, C. Ø., Ullmann, C., Jakobsen, K., Lindskog, A., Hansen, J., Hansen, T., …Harper, D. (2016). Onset of main Phanerozoic marine radiation sparked by emerging Mid Ordovician icehouse. Scientific Reports, 6, Article 18884. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18884

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 30, 2015
Online Publication Date Jan 6, 2016
Publication Date Jan 6, 2016
Deposit Date Dec 9, 2015
Publicly Available Date Mar 15, 2016
Journal Scientific Reports
Publisher Nature Research
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 6
Article Number 18884
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18884

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Copyright Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/




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