Late Triassic Paleoecology
In the Late Triassic (227 – 201 Ma), seafloor ecosystems experienced major reorganization apparently unrelated to any extinction event. Communities of stationary benthic epifaunal taxa were replaced by communities of increasingly mobile infaunal and semi-infaunal, cementing, and swimming taxa.
This research focused on testing the relationships between the benthic paleoecology and the rise of specialized shell-crushing predators in the Triassic. Our field sites included Nevada, U.S.A. and New Zealand.
Nevada
Work in western Nevada focused on adding a concurrent vertebrate predator record to the benthic paleoecological record developed by Dr. Tackett. Microfossil teeth from the same deposits as benthic macrofossil samples were used to construct the record. A thorough analysis of biosediments and their taphonomy from the Gabbs Formation resulted in a novel proxy for silica cycling as well as ecological information on multi-part invertebrates leading up to the end-Triassic mass extinction.
Clement, A. M. , Tackett, L. S. , Marolt, S., 2024. Biosediment assemblages reveal disrupted silica cycling and redox conditions throughout the Rhaetian Stage: evidence for a precursor event to the end-Triassic mass extinction. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 112034.
Tackett, L. S., Zierer, D., Clement, A. M., 2022 Actinopterygian and chondrichthyan ichthyoliths reveal enhanced cosmopolitanism in Late Triassic marine ecosystems. Historical Biology, 2131405.
New Zealand
This project extends the study of Late Triassic paleoecological patterns to high-paleolatitude localities in New Zealand. A previously unknown predator record for the Late Triassic of New Zealand is also being developed. Field work was completed during the winter of 2022-2023 and manuscripts are in preparation.