Extinction is key to terrestrial vertebrate diversity, new research reveals

Science Daily ^ | 11/23/2015 | University of Lincoln

[JimSEA]

Periods of high extinction on Earth, rather than evolutionary adaptations, may have been a key driver in the diversification of amniotes (today's dominant land vertebrates, including reptiles, birds, and mammals), according to new research published in Scientific Reports.

The new study reveals that mass extinctions among some groups of amniotes coincide with numerous and large diversifications in other closely related groups.

Conducted by scientists from the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany, and the University of Lincoln, UK, the research challenges commonly held views that support a relationship between the evolution of "key innovations" in a group and the rapid increase in its number of species. The researchers behind the new study suggest the evidence for such a relationship has only ever been circumstantial.

The new study examined the issue of adaptive radiations among early amniotes, from 315 to 200 million years ago. This time period witnessed some of the most profound climate changes on a global scale, including the dramatic shrinking of the southern polar icecap, the disappearance of equatorial rainforests, a substantial increase in temperature, and prolonged drought conditions. The time period under study also included the largest mass extinction in Earth's history, about 252 million years ago.

[clearcarbon]

"I tell people all the time, 'stop trying to save the trees. The trees will simply talk to one another and develop chainsaw resistant bark when the time is right.'"

Trees are evil!

[daifu]

“Punctuated Equilibrium” is not a new concept.

Species are relatively stable until some perturbation of their ecosystem disrupts the viability of the dominant lifeforms in whatever niche they fill.

Extinction leaves a gap which is rapidly (in geologic time) filled by evolution of previously stable local or invasive populations, i.e. advantageous mutations allow a new group to take over the role left open by the extinctions.

Think dinosaur extinctions opening the door for mammals to become dominant in a world where reptiles previously occupied the apex roles.

(Also think the rapid extinction of Christianity in Europe, allowing a wave of invasive predators intent on Conquest and extinction of everything European or Christian.)

[JimSEA]

I think punctuated equilibrium is generally accepted. However there are a lot of detail to be filled in and beyond this study, details to be filled in to flesh out the how and where. Smaller extinction events are just now being found.

[blam]

These two seem to go together:

'Truly amazing' scientific discovery on adaptation of Yakutian horses to cold

[JimSEA]

The two articles seem very much linked. Niles Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould came out with an idea in 1972 that long periods of stasis with minimal change in species were punctuated with periods of change in many species(Puntuated equilibrium).

[mbj]

LOL!!! :-)

17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

[mbj]

And yet horses still never seem to yield any life form that is anything unlike themselves. Jesus our Christ laid down the challenge that has withstood the test of centuries: breed a bramble that yields grapes - you can’t do it.

Luke 6
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Since the fossil record clearly does *not* demonstrate gradual changes over the millennia, atheists are scrambling for some other explanation.

“Punctuated equilibrium” is one of the newer attempts to explain away the truth - that God created the heavens and the earth, and all things therein - exactly like He said He did. (Genesis 1 + Acts 17:24)

[JimSEA]

In some cases gradual change is reflected in the fossil record but quite oft you can see rather rapid change, once again, in the fossil record. The rapid change seems to follow extinction events where many niches are relatively vacant. Horses have a rather short evolutionary history. That’s like many stressed creatures. How exactly do grapes differ from any other species that has been breed for change by humans. Ie. Wheat, rice or hazel nuts to list a few.

[mbj]

Gradual change to a higher form is not what the fossil record reveals.

Non sequitur. Grapes still yield grapes; and thorns still yield thorns, never grapes. Variation is always within design parameters, never fundamentally changing its nature.

[JimSEA]

That’s true as far as it goes. However how do you get from dinosaurs to birds or fish to amphibians to reptiles to mammals. There are series of incremental changes involved and we have fossils to track these changes. These series of changes are often hurried up by extinction events but you shouldn’t expect a snake to become a deer or some other illogical out of species sudden change. A lizard will always begit a lizard but over time it may be a different type of lizard.

[mbj]

“However how do you get from dinosaurs to birds or fish to amphibians to reptiles to mammals”

You don’t, ever.