The present paper summarizes the issues related with occurrence and distribution of wildfires in the Mesozoic. The main focus is put on occurrence of palaeowildfires during the Mesozoic global events, including Permian-Triassic (P/T), Triassic-Jurassic (T/J) and Cretaceous-Palaeogene (C/P) boundary. The other problems are connected with controversies over oxygene curve during Mesozoic, with special emphasis on Jurassic wildfires and theoretical predictions of low concentrations of atmospheric oxygene.
Interregional tracing of trends and events in the biotic evolution is an important task of modern palaeobiology. In Soviet times (1917-1991), numerous palaeontological data have collected for the territory of Russia and neighbouring U.S.S.R. countries. Later, these data were compiled and published in a series of reference volumes. Although this information cannot be updated in a conventional way, it remains valuable for quantitative analyses, particularly because of its comprehensive and unique character. Assessment of the previously collected data on the stratigraphic distribution of Middle Devonian-Mississippian marine invertebrates in three regions of central Asia (central Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) reveals some general patterns of biodiversity dynamics. The total number of genera generally declined during the Givetian-Famennian, whereas a remarkable diversity peak occurred in the Visean. This is consistent with the global pattern and, thus, permits to hypothesize a regional signature of the global trends. Changes in the extinction rate differ, however, between central Asia and the Earth in its entirety, which may be explained particularly by biases in either the regional or the global records. Evidence of the Givetian and Frasnian/Famennian mass extinctions is found in the three regions under study. Results of this tentative study indicate important directions for further research and suggest that central Asia is a highly important domain for studies of mid-Palaeozoic biodiversity dynamics.
To date, the strongest arguments for ammonite survival into the Danian (earliest Paleogene) are based on material from the lower Danian Cerithium Limestone at Stevns Klint (Denmark), where ammonites occur above a clay layer with impact products at its base, the latter defining the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary. The best-preserved specimen is filled with Danian sediment rather than with Maastrichtian chalk, which would be expected had this been reworked material. Arguments for ammonite survival into the Danian have also been provided by specimens from the sporomorph and calcareous nannoplankton-dated lowermost Danian strata of Meerssen Member unit IVf-7, the Netherlands. Their good preservation indicates that they were not subject to any significant transport or redeposition. However, there are no unequivocal impact-related signatures in unit IVf-7, except for rare shocked quartz grains, recorded from burrows at its base. Sections in the Manasquan Basin, New Jersey, USA, provide equivocal data as far as the problem of ammonite survival into the Danian is concerned. At the top of the Tinton Formation there is a Pinna layer replete with fossils, inclusive of ammonites. Their exquisite preservation and occurrence in monospecific clusters rule out redeposition. The Pinna layer contains exclusively late Maastrichtian microfossils. However, a clear iridium anomaly has been noted at its base. Either the New Jersey ammonites survived the K-Pg event for a short time or the iridium is not in situ due to post-depositional repositioning by percolating water. Planned work is to focus on: 1) a detailed centimetre by centimetre sampling of some Cerithium Limestone basins in Denmark in search of additional ammonite material, 2) palaeontological and taphonomic analysis of ammonites and search for impact signatures in unit IVf-7 in the Netherlands, and 3) geochemical study of the iridium anomaly in New Jersey in order to determine whether its position in respect to the ammonite-bed is original or secondary.
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The present paper summarizes previously published results of my studies on the Cenomanian-Turonian and Cretaceous-Paleogene changes in benthic foraminiferal assemblages. The recorded changes indicate that the rate and intensity of restructuring of benthic foraminiferal populations during the Cenomanian-Turonian Boundary Event (CTBE) and Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary Event (KTBE) strongly depended on the duration and severity of environmental stress. A stepwise extinction within benthic foraminiferal assemblages, a bloom of infaunal and semi-infaunal morphotypes during the CTBE and a relatively long-lasting survival interval (the Whiteinella archaeocretacea chron) most likely reflect the decline in oxygenation level of the bottom waters at the end of the Rotalipora cushmani chron and persistence of these unfavourable conditions during the Whiteinella archaeocretacea chron. A catastrophic type of mass extinction within benthic foraminiferal assemblages, extinction or temporary emigration of most of infaunal morphogroups during the KPBE and a relatively short survival interval are interpreted to be the result of a sudden breakdown in food supply as the consequence of a sudden collapse in primary productivity, probably resulting from the impact of the K-P asteroid.
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