Publications by authors named "Anne M Gothmann"
One of the most conserved traits in the evolution of biomineralizing organisms is the taxon-specific selection of skeletal minerals. All modern scleractinian corals are thought to produce skeletons exclusively of the calcium-carbonate polymorph aragonite. Despite strong fluctuations in ocean chemistry (notably the Mg/Ca ratio), this feature is believed to be conserved throughout the coral fossil record, spanning more than 240 million years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRoughly 240 million years ago (Ma), scleractinian corals rapidly expanded and diversified across shallow marine environments. The main driver behind this evolution is uncertain, but the ecological success of modern reef-building corals is attributed to their nutritional symbiosis with photosynthesizing dinoflagellate algae. We show that a suite of exceptionally preserved Late Triassic (ca.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Coral reefs are currently at risk due to rapid climate change affecting seawater conditions, but they have historically survived major fluctuations in atmospheric CO2 levels since the Cenozoic era.
- The coral genus Acropora, which includes 20 morphological groups and 150 species, has maintained a consistent skeletal structure for at least 40 million years, as seen in well-preserved fossil skeletons.
- Fossil Acropora skeletons provide valuable insights into ancient ocean chemistry, as their aragonitic skeletons reflect changes in ocean magnesium/calcium ratios throughout history.