Silica-replaced fossils through the Phanerozoic

Research Article| November 01, 1997 Silica-replaced fossils through the Phanerozoic Jennifer K. Schubert; Jennifer K. Schubert 1Geology Division, Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum, Box 353 010, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-3010 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar David L. Kidder; David L. Kidder 2Department of Geological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701-2979 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Douglas H. Erwin Douglas H. Erwin 3Department of Paleobiology, NHB-121, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560-0001 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1997) 25 (11): 1031–1034. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1997)025<1031:SRFTTP>2.3.CO;2 Article history first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Jennifer K. Schubert, David L. Kidder, Douglas H. Erwin; Silica-replaced fossils through the Phanerozoic. Geology 1997;; 25 (11): 1031–1034. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1997)025<1031:SRFTTP>2.3.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 A systematic survey of 1863 papers on macrobenthic assemblages reveals that an average of 21% of published Paleozoic papers concern silicified fossils, but that average drops to just 4% for post-Paleozoic papers. During the Paleozoic, silicified fossil occurrences do not significantly correlate with the amount of shelf chert, outcrop area, time, duration of geologic intervals, or carbonate rock volume. This substantial drop in numbers of silicified fossils coincides temporally with increased importance of aragonite faunas following the end-Permian extinctions. However, qualitative measurements of secular changes in abundance and diversity of siliceous sponges are consistent not only with the post-Paleozoic decline in fossil silicification, but also with fluctuations in the amount of silicified fossils throughout the Paleozoic. The facies distribution of silicified fossils in the Permian of West Texas also suggests that the distribution of silicified fossils may reflect the occurrence of siliceous sponges. The decline in silicified fossils after the Permian may be related to a concomitant rise in offshore bedded chert deposition and movement of the locus of biogenic silica formation from nearshore to offshore regions beginning in the Triassic, rather than with the expansion of diatoms in the Cretaceous. 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.