TY - JOUR
T1 - Mass extinction of lizards and snakes at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary
AU - Longrich, Nicholas R.
AU - Bhullar, Bhart-Anjan S.
AU - Gauthier, Jacques A.
PY - 2012/12/26
Y1 - 2012/12/26
N2 - The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary is marked by a major mass extinction, yet this event is thought to have had little effect on the diversity of lizards and snakes (Squamata). A revision of fossil squamates from the Maastrichtian and Paleocene of North America shows that lizards and snakes suffered a devastating mass extinction coinciding with the Chicxulub asteroid impact. Species-level extinction was 83%, and the K-Pg event resulted in the elimination of many lizard groups and a dramatic decrease in morphological disparity. Survival was associated with small body size and perhaps large geographic range. The recovery was prolonged; diversity did not approach Cretaceous levels until 10 My after the extinction, and resulted in a dramatic change in faunal composition. The squamate fossil record shows that the end-Cretaceous mass extinction was far more severe than previously believed, and underscores the role played by mass extinctions in driving diversification.
AB - The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary is marked by a major mass extinction, yet this event is thought to have had little effect on the diversity of lizards and snakes (Squamata). A revision of fossil squamates from the Maastrichtian and Paleocene of North America shows that lizards and snakes suffered a devastating mass extinction coinciding with the Chicxulub asteroid impact. Species-level extinction was 83%, and the K-Pg event resulted in the elimination of many lizard groups and a dramatic decrease in morphological disparity. Survival was associated with small body size and perhaps large geographic range. The recovery was prolonged; diversity did not approach Cretaceous levels until 10 My after the extinction, and resulted in a dramatic change in faunal composition. The squamate fossil record shows that the end-Cretaceous mass extinction was far more severe than previously believed, and underscores the role played by mass extinctions in driving diversification.
KW - animals
KW - biological evolution
KW - body size
KW - extinction, biological
KW - history, ancient
KW - lizards
KW - North America
KW - paleontology
KW - snakes
KW - time factors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84871826895&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1211526110
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1211526110
DO - 10.1073/pnas.1211526110
M3 - Article
C2 - 23236177
VL - 109
SP - 21396
EP - 21401
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
SN - 0027-8424
IS - 52
ER -