Dying in the sun: direct evidence for elevated UV-B radiation at the end-Permian mass extinction
Dying in the sun: direct evidence for elevated UV-B radiation at the end-Permian mass extinction
Land plants can adjust the concentration of protective ultraviolet B (UV-B)–absorbing compounds (UACs) in the outer wall of their reproductive propagules in response to ambient UV-B flux. To infer changes in UV-B radiation flux at Earth’s surface during the end-Permian mass extinction, we analyze UAC abundances in ca. 800 pollen grains from an independently dated Permian-Triassic boundary section in Tibet. Our data reveal an excursion in UACs that coincide with a spike in mercury concentration and a negative carbon-isotope excursion in the latest Permian deposits, suggesting a close temporal link between large-scale volcanic eruptions, global carbon and mercury cycle perturbations, and ozone layer disruption. Because enhanced UV-B radiation can exacerbate the environmental deterioration induced by massive magmatism, ozone depletion is considered a compelling ecological driver for the terrestrial mass extinction.
Liu, Feng
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Peng, Huiping
1112e3ae-26f1-441c-84a5-fa4258e8cbd9
Marshall, John E.A.
cba178e3-91aa-49a2-b2ce-4b8d9d870b06
Lomax, Barry H.
24604fec-6b7f-45b4-9cae-07eaed4ce721
Bomfleur, Benjamin
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Kent, Matthew S.
9fd952ad-356e-423b-8cfe-a9b5b1e28cf9
Fraser, Welsey T.
4153f30f-8e61-4dcd-9a0e-57933ab82ef8
Jardine, Phillip E.
23ec07a6-5a44-4d53-ae7c-3850bac0ca9a
6 January 2023
Liu, Feng
f384abb5-3587-4bdd-8043-d56a7b532081
Peng, Huiping
1112e3ae-26f1-441c-84a5-fa4258e8cbd9
Marshall, John E.A.
cba178e3-91aa-49a2-b2ce-4b8d9d870b06
Lomax, Barry H.
24604fec-6b7f-45b4-9cae-07eaed4ce721
Bomfleur, Benjamin
d1d50c3b-f70c-4609-b020-f03763dcd666
Kent, Matthew S.
9fd952ad-356e-423b-8cfe-a9b5b1e28cf9
Fraser, Welsey T.
4153f30f-8e61-4dcd-9a0e-57933ab82ef8
Jardine, Phillip E.
23ec07a6-5a44-4d53-ae7c-3850bac0ca9a
Liu, Feng, Peng, Huiping, Marshall, John E.A., Lomax, Barry H., Bomfleur, Benjamin, Kent, Matthew S., Fraser, Welsey T. and Jardine, Phillip E.
(2023)
Dying in the sun: direct evidence for elevated UV-B radiation at the end-Permian mass extinction.
Science Advances, 9, [eabo6102].
(doi:10.1126/sciadv.abo6102).
Abstract
Land plants can adjust the concentration of protective ultraviolet B (UV-B)–absorbing compounds (UACs) in the outer wall of their reproductive propagules in response to ambient UV-B flux. To infer changes in UV-B radiation flux at Earth’s surface during the end-Permian mass extinction, we analyze UAC abundances in ca. 800 pollen grains from an independently dated Permian-Triassic boundary section in Tibet. Our data reveal an excursion in UACs that coincide with a spike in mercury concentration and a negative carbon-isotope excursion in the latest Permian deposits, suggesting a close temporal link between large-scale volcanic eruptions, global carbon and mercury cycle perturbations, and ozone layer disruption. Because enhanced UV-B radiation can exacerbate the environmental deterioration induced by massive magmatism, ozone depletion is considered a compelling ecological driver for the terrestrial mass extinction.
Text
direct evidence for elevated UV-B radiation at the end Permian mass extinction_revision_Sci Adv Liu Feng et al
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 7 December 2022
Published date: 6 January 2023
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 490394
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/490394
ISSN: 2375-2548
PURE UUID: 4bfd2c19-f82f-4c55-831a-bb9d5287b41b
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Date deposited: 24 May 2024 16:42
Last modified: 25 May 2024 01:32
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Contributors
Author:
Feng Liu
Author:
Huiping Peng
Author:
Barry H. Lomax
Author:
Benjamin Bomfleur
Author:
Matthew S. Kent
Author:
Welsey T. Fraser
Author:
Phillip E. Jardine
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