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New Directions in the Paleoecology of Paleozoic Brachiopods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2017

Lindsey R. Leighton
Lindsey R. Leighton*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
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Because of their great abundance, widespread distribution, excellent preservation potential (Foote and Sepkoski, 1999), and a tendency not to disarticulate after death, brachiopods are ideal subjects for paleoecological research involving morphometrics, population analysis, and phylogenetics. Paleoecology is a subdiscipline that demands large data sets and statistical tests, and brachiopods provide the opportunity to create such databases. I fully expect to see brachiopods play a major role in the coming years in studies on the cutting edge of paleoecology. My approach in this chapter is to provide some background and tools that hopefully will inspire many new ideas for using brachiopods in the study of paleoecology. My intent is not to convince anyone of the correctness of my ideas, but rather to encourage future research in these directions.

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Research Article
Information
The Paleontological Society Papers , Volume 7: Brachiopods Ancient and Modern: A Tribute to G. Arthur Cooper , November 2001 , pp. 185 - 206
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Copyright © 2001 by The Paleontological Society 

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