Paleozoic ammonoid ecomorphometrics test ecospace availability as a driver of morphological diversification

Abstract

The early burst model suggests that disparity rises rapidly to fill empty ecospace following clade origination or in the aftermath of a mass extinction. Early bursts are considered common features of fossil data, but neontological studies have struggled to identify them. Furthermore, tests have proven difficult because factors besides ecology can drive changes in morphology. Here, we document the ecomorphometric evolution of the extinct Ammonoidea at 1-million-year resolution, from their origination in the Early Devonian (Emsian) to the Early Triassic (Induan), over ~156 million years. This time interval encompasses six global extinction events, including two of the Big Five, and incorporates multiple ammonoid radiations. However, we find no evidence for early bursts of ecomorphological disparity. This contradicts arguments that the temporal scope, or traits measured in genomic data, conceal evidence of early bursts. Rather, early bursts may be less prevalent in fossil data than is often assumed.