近日，中国科学院南京地质古生物研究所黄冰副研究员等在国际学术期刊《三古》（Palaeogeography，Palaeoclimatology，Palaeoecology）刊登了其最新的研究成果“Global palaeobiogeographical patterns in brachiopods from survival to recovery after the end-Ordovician mass extinction，”，文章中，研究者揭示了奥陶纪末大灭绝后残存-复苏早期全球腕足动物古地理最新研究成果。
地史时期的生物大灭绝事件不仅使生态系统和生态结构遭受重创，同时因其时空分布特征，也会对全球古生物地理格局产生一定程度的影响。灭绝事件后的残存期—复苏早期作为从灭绝到辐射的中间环节，承载着非常重要的宏演化过程。在全球框架下对该时期进行古生物地理学研究，有助于进一步探索大灭绝后宏演化的过程及其意义。
该研究基于已发表的资料及掌握的最新数据的整理，建立了全球腕足动物志留纪初鲁丹早期（残存期）和鲁丹晚期（复苏早期）共计29个产地408个出现信息数据集。运用聚类分析（CA）和非度量性多元标度变换（NMDS），研究人员对奥陶纪末大灭绝后残存期及复苏早期腕足动物进行定量古生物地理研究，发现了该时期全球腕足动物具有沿纬度分带倾向的古生物地理分布格局。对鲁丹早、晚期腕足动物数据的频率分析表明，多数灭绝前的世界性分子在灭绝后的残存期（鲁丹早期）仅在一处发现，表明其收缩了分布范围以躲避灾难。待鲁丹晚期环境好转，腕足动物多样性增高，同时有更多的分子不再局限于一个产地或古板块，而扩散到更多区域，显示出生物群面貌有所好转的迹象，生物“复苏期”开始。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.01.009
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Globalpalaeobiogeographicalpatterns in brachiopods from survival to recoveryafter the end-Ordovicianmassextinction
Bing Huanga, , , Jiayu Ronga, L. Robin M. Cocksb
Extinction events usually disrupt palaeobiogeographicalpatterns, but there have been few detailed studies of the Early Silurian survival–recovery period after the Late Ordovicianmassextinction. This paper summarizes and revises published information on the recovery of Early and Late Rhuddanian brachiopod faunas. The global dataset consists of 137 occurrences, 72 genera, and 13 localities of Early Rhuddanian (survival interval), and 271 occurrences, 91 genera, and 26 localities of the Late Rhuddanian (early recovery interval). The data are analyzed using Cluster Analysis, Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling, and Minimum Spanning Tree using Yule's Y coefficient and the Raup–Crick coefficient (probabilistic index of similarity). The results display palaeolatitudinal distribution patterns for brachiopods during their survival and recovery. Frequency analysis of the data indicates that cosmopolitan taxa before the massextinction decreased in their post-extinction distribution. The survivors were mostly confined to one palaeoplate or even one locality in the survival interval, but expanded progressively in the subsequent recovery period. multiple strategies to enhance its adaptation to high-temperature and high-humidity conditions.
