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No mass extinction for land plants at the Permian–Triassic transition

Author

Listed:
  • Hendrik Nowak

    (Museum of Nature South Tyrol)

  • Elke Schneebeli-Hermann

    (Paläontologisches Institut und Museum)

  • Evelyn Kustatscher

    (Museum of Nature South Tyrol
    Ludwig–Maximilians–Universität, and Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie)

Abstract

The most severe mass extinction among animals took place in the latest Permian (ca. 252 million years ago). Due to scarce and impoverished fossil floras from the earliest Triassic, the common perception has been that land plants likewise suffered a mass extinction, but doubts remained. Here we use global occurrence data of both plant macro- and microfossils to analyse plant biodiversity development across the Permian–Triassic boundary. We show that the plant fossil record is strongly biased and that evidence for a mass extinction among plants in the latest Permian is not robust. The taxonomic diversities of gymnosperm macrofossils and of the pollen produced by this group are particularly incongruent. Our results indicate that gymnosperm macrofossils are considerably undersampled for the Early Triassic, which creates the impression of increased gymnosperm extinction in the latest Permian.

Suggested Citation

  • Hendrik Nowak & Elke Schneebeli-Hermann & Evelyn Kustatscher, 2019. "No mass extinction for land plants at the Permian–Triassic transition," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-07945-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07945-w
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    Cited by:

    1. Corentin Jouault & André Nel & Vincent Perrichot & Frédéric Legendre & Fabien L. Condamine, 2022. "Multiple drivers and lineage-specific insect extinctions during the Permo–Triassic," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.

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