PLoS Biology (Sep 2014)

Plant ecological strategies shift across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.

  • Benjamin Blonder,
  • Dana L Royer,
  • Kirk R Johnson,
  • Ian Miller,
  • Brian J Enquist

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 9
p. e1001949

Abstract

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The Chicxulub bolide impact caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction of plants, but the associated selectivity and ecological effects are poorly known. Using a unique set of North Dakota leaf fossil assemblages spanning 2.2 Myr across the event, we show among angiosperms a reduction of ecological strategies and selection for fast-growth strategies consistent with a hypothesized recovery from an impact winter. Leaf mass per area (carbon investment) decreased in both mean and variance, while vein density (carbon assimilation rate) increased in mean, consistent with a shift towards "fast" growth strategies. Plant extinction from the bolide impact resulted in a shift in functional trait space that likely had broad consequences for ecosystem functioning.