RECOVERY OF DEEP MARINE COMMUNITIES FOLLOWING MASS EXTINCTION AT THE PERMIAN-TRIASSIC BOUNDARY

Earth history has seen the extinction and recovery of many of its inhabitances due to global changes beyond any control. With global change occurring daily it is vital to record information about past extinctions as well as those organisms that were able to surpass similar crises. Such information can be used as a comparison with modern crises and possible conservation plans can be produced. In this study an analysis was made of deep marine communities shortly after the world’s largest mass extinction at the Permian-Triassic boundary around 252 million years ago. An assessment was made of the Fossil Hill Member, located within the Favret Formation where present day Nevada now lies. Geologic history shows this locality was once belonged to the back arc of the Somona Orogeny yielding deep marine sediments of the Middle Triassic. Rock samples were taken and made into thin sections in order to record rock types in addition to cataloging the biodiversity found within the samples. A stratigraphic column was produced in order to observe changes in communities through time. Analysis revealed that although several organisms were discovered, the abundance of bivalves was overwhelming. In addition, some species of foraminifera were observed which, have never been mentioned in the literature for this location. Additional detailed analysis is needed in order to classify the organisms down to the species level. However, the abundances and biodiversity found within the samples show that not only do we have organisms recovering from mass extinction but flourishing as well.