Environmental changes, co-extinction, and patterns in the fossil record

TL;DR

This paper presents a new model for large-scale evolution and extinction that accounts for environmental changes and co-extinction, successfully reproducing key empirical patterns in the fossil record without relying on interspecies competition.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel model that explains fossil record patterns through environmental and co-extinction processes, challenging traditional competition-based theories.

Findings

Reproduces fractal patterns in fossil data

Shows scale-free distribution of extinction events

Highlights importance of environmental and co-extinction factors

Abstract

We introduce a new model for large scale evolution and extinction in which species are organized into food chains. The system evolves by two processes: origination/speciation and extinction. In the model, extinction of a given species can be due to an externally induced change in the environment or due to the extinction of all preys of that species (co-extinction). The model is able to reproduce the empirical observations, such as the statistical fractality of the fossil record or the scale-free distribution of extinction events, without invoking extinctions due to competition between species.