Paleontological Events: Stratigraphic, Ecologic, and Evolutionary Implications

Abstract

A most active area of modern paleontology concerns the causes and consequences of global mass extinction events. Fueled by wide public interest in extinction of the dinosaurs and debate among geologists over the causes of this event, paleontologists have scrutinized the geologic record of extinction events. Volume after volume has addressed these prominent extinction events. Far less study, and an order of magnitude less paper, have been devoted to the causes of local and regional paleontological events such as local extinctions and incursions even though they are far more common and can be equally dramatic. Many sedimentary geologists have observed horizons of marine sedimentary rocks unusually enriched in fossil remains. However, few of us stop to consider their significance. Paleontological Events: Stratigraphic, Ecologic, and Evolutionary Implications showcases 20 state‐of‐the‐art papers that explore the causes of short‐term and longer‐term bioevents that have left behind remarkable paleontological records.