Plant ecological strategies shift across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary

PLoS Biol. 2014 Sep 16;12(9):e1001949. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949. eCollection 2014 Sep.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Carbon / metabolism
  • Ecosystem
  • Extinction, Biological*
  • Fossils / anatomy & histology*
  • Magnoliopsida / anatomy & histology
  • Magnoliopsida / physiology*
  • Models, Statistical*
  • North Dakota
  • Plant Leaves / anatomy & histology
  • Plant Leaves / physiology*

Substances

  • Carbon

Grants and funding

BB was supported by a Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory graduate research fellowship, a Geological Society of America student research grant, and a NSF pre-doctoral fellowship. BE was supported by an NSF ATB and Macrosystems award (Grant numbers: Macrosystems - NSF DEB 1065861; ATB - NSF EF 0742800). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.