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Structure and dating errors in the geologic time scale and periodicity in mass extinctions
Author(s) -
Stothers Richard B.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl016i002p00119
Subject(s) - geology , myr , extinction event , flood basalt , paleontology , volcano , radiometric dating , geologic time scale , phanerozoic , cenozoic , earth science , physical geography , structural basin , geography , volcanism , tectonics , biological dispersal , population , biochemistry , chemistry , demography , genome , sociology , gene
Structure in the geologic time scale reflects a partly paleontological origin. As a result, ages of Cenozoic and Mesozoic stage boundaries exhibit a weak 28‐Myr periodicity that is similar to the strong 26‐Myr periodicity detected in mass extinctions of marine life by Raup and Sepkoski. Radiometric dating errors in the geologic time scale, to which the mass extinctions are stratigraphically tied, do not necessarily lessen the likelihood of a significant periodicity in mass extinctions, but do spread the acceptable values of the period over the range 25–27 Myr for the Harland et al. time scale or 25–30 Myr for the DNAG time scale. If the Odin time scale is adopted, acceptable periods fall between 24 and 33 Myr, but are not robust against dating errors. Some indirect evidence from independently‐dated flood‐basalt volcanic horizons tends to favor the Odin time scale.