population genetics and the cretaceous extinction群体遗传学和白垩纪灭绝.pdfVIP

Forum Population genetics and the Cretaceous extinction (1) S.C. TSAKAS J.R. DAVID * Agricultural College of Athens, Department of Genetics, Votanicos, Athens, Greece 118 55 Centre**National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Biologie et G!n!tique Evolutives, 91190 Gif sur-Yvette, France Summary A theory based primarily on the population genetics parameters of mutationrate and, secondarily, population size is given as the explanation for the increased diversification in ammonites and dinosaurs which began several million years before their extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period. Further, it resolves the puzzle of why this did not as expected aid in their survival but to have been a detriment. In addition it the characteristics of this appears explains extinction which include a global effect and a higher extinction rate coinciding with : bigger body size, higher position in the food web, tropical regions, and shallow-sea as opposed to deeper-sea- living organisms. Key words : mutation rate, population size, extinction, ammonite, dinosaur. Résumé Génétique des populations et les extinctions du Crétacé Cet article présente une théorie basée sur des paramètres de la génétique des populations (en premier lieu, le taux de mutation et en second lieu l’effectif de la population), pour expliquer l’accroissement de la diversité des Ammonites et des Dinosaures qui a commencé plusieurs millions d’année