Open AccessBolide impact triggered the Late Triassic extinction event in equatorial Panthalassa
Author(s) -
Tetsuji Onoue,
Honami Sato,
Daisuke Yamashita,
Minoru Ikehara,
Kazutaka Yasukawa,
Koichiro Fujinaga,
Yasuhiro Kato,
Atsushi Matsuoka
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/srep29609
Subject(s) - conodont , extinction event , pelagic zone , extinction (optical mineralogy) , paleontology , geology , oceanography , biostratigraphy , biological dispersal , population , demography , sociology
Extinctions within major pelagic groups (e.g., radiolarians and conodonts) occurred in a stepwise fashion during the last 15 Myr of the Triassic. Although a marked decline in the diversity of pelagic faunas began at the end of the middle Norian, the cause of the middle Norian extinction is uncertain. Here we show a possible link between the end-middle Norian radiolarian extinction and a bolide impact. Two palaeoenvironmental events occurred during the initial phase of the radiolarian extinction interval: (1) a post-impact shutdown of primary and biogenic silica production within a time span of 10 4 –10 5 yr, and (2) a sustained reduction in the sinking flux of radiolarian silica for ~0.3 Myr after the impact. The catastrophic collapse of the pelagic ecosystem at this time was probably the dominant factor responsible for the end-middle Norian conodont extinction.