ReefHistory

Reefs in the Fossil Record

Formation

A. Range of Time Period of Origin

Reefs are found throughout the fossil record across millions of years of geological time. The earliest structures we might recognize as coral reefs appeared during the Cambrian period about 540 million years ago (Wood, 1999). Although they may go back much further depending on how a reef is defined. As early as 2.5 billion years ago, boulder like structures were being produced by stromatolites, and these are recognized as being the oldest form of reef-building organisms. More recently in geologic time, approximately the last 250 million years, calcium carbonate corals have begun to dominate the coral ecosystem.

Coral reefs have experienced a number of mass extinction events, many occuring during the Phanerozoic Era (Fagerstrom, 1988). During this time,

Location

A. Map with short description
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Interpretation

A. Indicate changes in ancient climate

  I. Acidification Effects

  II. Temperature Effects

  III.Analogs for modern climate change

B. Showing Evolution Over Time

  I. Changes in fish with similar ecological niches

  II. Changes in reef building species

C. Demonstrating Biome Changes

  I.Transition from other reef builders to corals

  II. Changes in predator and prey species

References

1. Lieberman, B. S., & Kaesler, R. (n.d.). Prehistoric Life : Evolution and the Fossil Record. Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/lib/uncch/detail.action?docID=10387090
2. Bellwood, D. R., Goatley, C. H. ., Brandl, S. J., & Bellwood, O. (2014). Fifty million years of herbivory on coral reefs: fossils, fish and functional innovations. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 281, 1–8.
3. Hopping Hotspots: Global Shifts in Marine Biodiversity. W. Renema, D. R. Bellwood, J. C. Braga, K. Bromfield, R. Hall, K. G. Johnson, P. Lunt, C. P. Meyer, L. B. McMonagle, R. J. Morley, A. O'Dea, J. A. Todd, F. P. Wesselingh, M. E. J. Wilson and J. M. Pandolfi. Science. New Series, Vol. 321, No. 5889 (Aug. 1, 2008), pp. 654-657. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20054634.
4.Kiessling, W., & Simpson, C. (2011). On the potential for ocean acidification to be a general cause of ancient reef crises. Global change biology, 17(1), 56–67. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02204.x
5. Wood R (1999) Reef evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford 6. G. D. Stanley Jr. and J. A. Fagerstrom 7. PALAIOS. Vol. 3, No. 2, Ancient Reef Ecosystems Theme Issue (Apr. - Jun., 1988), p. 110