Carbon isotopes, time boundaries and evolution |
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| Authors: | Mordeckai Magaritz |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100 Israel and Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Ca 91125, USA |
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| Abstract: | The carbon isotope composition of carbonate rocks in time-boundary zones is interpreted as a reflection of the variations in the total biomass at mass extinction events. Better stratigraphic control and identification of hiatuses can be gained by stable isotope stratigraphic methods than with any other type of stratigraphy. It is suggested that the use of carbon isotopes can help in solving some of the problems confronting palaeontologists and lead to a better understanding of the evolutionary significance of these events. |
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