Testing the deep-sea glacial disturbance hypothesis as a cause of low, present-day Norwegian Sea diversity and resulting steep latitudinal diversity gradient, using fossil records

Anna B. Jöst*, Huai-Hsuan M. Huang, Yuanyuan Hong, Chih-Lin Wei, Henning A. Bauch, Benoit Thibodeau, Thomas M. Cronin, Hisayo Okahashi, Moriaki Yasuhara*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
23 Downloads (CityUHK Scholars)

Abstract

Aim: Within the intensively-studied, well-documented latitudinal diversity gradient, the deep-sea biodiversity of the present-day Norwegian Sea stands out with its notably low diversity, constituting a steep latitudinal diversity gradient in the North Atlantic. The reason behind this has long been a topic of debate and speculation. Most prominently, it is explained by the deep-sea glacial disturbance hypothesis, which states that harsh environmental glacial conditions negatively impacted Norwegian Sea diversities, which have not yet fully recovered. Our aim is to empirically test this hypothesis. Specific research questions are: (1) Has deep-sea biodiversity been lower during glacials than during interglacials? (2) Was there any faunal shift at the Mid-Brunhes Event (MBE) when the mode of glacial–interglacial climatic change was altered?.
Location: Norwegian Sea, deep sea (1819–2800 m), coring sites MD992277, PS1243, and M23352.
Time period: 620.7–1.4 ka (Middle Pleistocene–Late Holocene).
Taxa studied: Ostracoda (Crustacea).
Methods: We empirically test the deep-sea glacial disturbance hypothesis by investigating whether diversity in glacial periods is consistently lower than diversity in interglacial periods. Additionally, we apply comparative analyses to determine a potential faunal shift at the MBE, a Pleistocene event describing a fundamental shift in global climate.
Results: The deep Norwegian Sea diversity was not lower during glacial periods compared to interglacial periods. Holocene diversity was exceedingly lower than that of the last glacial period. Faunal composition changed substantially between pre- and post-MBE.
Main conclusions: These results reject the glacial disturbance hypothesis, since the low glacial diversity is the important precondition here. The present-day-style deep Norwegian Sea ecosystem was established by the MBE, more specifically by MBE-induced changes in global climate, which has led to more dynamic post-MBE conditions. In a broader context, this implies that the MBE has played an important role in the establishment of the modern polar deep-sea ecosystem and biodiversity in general.
© 2024 The Authors. Global Ecology and Biogeography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere13844
JournalGlobal Ecology and Biogeography
Volume33
Issue number7
Online published24 Apr 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2024

Funding

U.S. Geological Survey Climate Research and Development Program; Peter Buck Postdoc Fellowship, Smithsonian Institution; Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea, Grant/Award Number: 2019H1D3A1A01070922; the Ecology and Biodiversity Division Fund, Grant/ Award Number: 5594129; Faculty of Science RAE Improvement Fund of the University of Hong Kong; Seed Funding Program for Basic Research of the University of Hong Kong, Grant/Award Number: 201210159043, 201411159017, 201511159075, 202011159122 and 2202100581; the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, Grant/Award Number: HKU 17301818, HKU 17311316 and RFS2223-7S02; the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Grant/ Award Number: PO01471 and PEA0205

Research Keywords

  • deep-sea diversity
  • faunal turnover
  • macroecological patterns
  • Mid-Brunhes Event
  • North Atlantic
  • Ostracoda

Publisher's Copyright Statement

  • This full text is made available under CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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