Phanerozoic trends in background extinction: Consequence of an aging fauna

Research Article| November 01, 1986 Phanerozoic trends in background extinction: Consequence of an aging fauna George F. Boyajian George F. Boyajian 1Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information George F. Boyajian 1Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1986) 14 (11): 955–958. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1986)14<955:PTIBEC>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation George F. Boyajian; Phanerozoic trends in background extinction: Consequence of an aging fauna. Geology 1986;; 14 (11): 955–958. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1986)14<955:PTIBEC>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Changes in the rate of background extinction are analyzed as a function of changing age distributions of families. Declining background-extinction rates have previously been attributed to evolution at the family or community level. It is demonstrated, however, that if the probability of extinction for a family decreases through its own history, then overall changes in background-extinction rate are a function of a changing familial age distribution. In geologic stages where there is a preponderance of young families, extinction rates can be predicted to be higher than in times where there is a plethora of older families. In addition, it is demonstrated that a difference exists between the age distributions of families that become extinct in background- and mass-extinction intervals. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.