Extinction from a paleontological perspective

Raup, D. M.

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NASA NTRS · 20040089553

Extinction from a paleontological perspective

Raup, D. M.

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Abstract

Extinction of widespread species is common in evolutionary time (millions of years) but rare in ecological time (hundreds or thousands of years). In the fossil record, there appears to be a smooth continuum between background and mass extinction; and the clustering of extinctions at mass extinctions cannot be explained by the chance coincidence of independent events. Although some extinction is selective, much is apparently random in that survivors have no recognizable superiority over victims. Extinction certainly plays an important role in evolution, but whether it is constructive or destructive has not yet been determined.

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Review Review, Tutorial NASA Discipline Exobiology Non-NASA Center Fossils Paleontology Evolution Volcanic Eruption Geology Natural Disasters Minor Planets Meteoroids Animals Adaptation, Biological

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Raup, D. M.. 1993-01-01. Extinction from a paleontological perspective. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20040089553

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