A User’s PrimerA User’s Primer

© Tapanila, 2006

version 1.1

Free software downloads available athttp://geology.isu.edu/FossilPlot/

• John J. Sepkoski Jr. (University of Chicago)

– Database of ~36,000 genera– Lists taxonomy and stratigraphic ranges– Marine animals only– Limitations:

• Few soft-bodied animals• No plants, algae, fungi, bacteria• No terrestrial animals

– Used for recognizing evolutionary patterns

The Database

FAD FirstAppearanceDatum

Origination

Paleography

Stratigraphic Ranges

FAD

LAD

FirstAppearanceDatum

LastAppearanceDatum

Ran

ge

Extinction

Paleography

Stratigraphic Ranges

Origination

Paleography

What was Triassic diversity?

Diversity = 5 genera

Paleography

What was Triassic diversity?

Paleography

How many Triassic originations?

Originations = 2 genera

Paleography

How many Triassic originations?

Paleography

How many Triassic extinctions?

Extinctions = 1 genus

Paleography

How many Triassic extinctions?

• Period Cretaceous 1 45.5 – 65.5 Ma– Epoch Late Cretaceous 99.6 – 65.5 Ma

• Age Maastrichtian 70.6 – 65.5 Ma

Example

Paleography

RelativeTime Interval

AbsoluteTime Interval

Relative and Absolute time

• For any marine group...– Graph its stratigraphic range– Graph diversity through time– Graph originations through

time– Graph extinctions through time

What this program does…

Paleography

Stratigraphic Ranges

• FossilPlot calculates standing diversity as…– the total number of

genera that occur within a particular time interval

Paleography

Diversity

Triassic through Recent bryozoans

Paleography

Originations

Triassic through Recent bryozoans

• FossilPlot calculates originations as…– the total number of

genera that first appear during a particular time interval, i.e. by counting FADs

• FossilPlot calculates extinctions as…– the total number of

genera that last appear during a particular time interval, i.e. by counting LADs

Paleography

Extinctions

Triassic through Recent bryozoans

SpeciationSample 1: Plot the Bryozoans

SpeciationGet your data

Select and copy group from Compendium

SpeciationTransfer the data

Copy/Paste group in &Data at Cell A8

A8

Speciation

Remove any extra unwanted genera at the end of your list

by…

Remove pre-existing data

Speciation

Highlighting the unwanted genera

and…

Remove pre-existing data

Speciation

Press the Delete key on the keyboard.Do not use the

Edit/Delete function!

Remove pre-existing data

SpeciationLook at the Range chart

Compendium taxa are arranged alpha-

betically. Get a better display by…

Speciation

Sorting your taxa: Use Data/Sort to organize your list stratigraphically

Organize your data: before

SpeciationOrganize your data: after

SpeciationOrganize your data: after

SpeciationOther graphs made by &Data

SpeciationOther graphs made by &Data

SpeciationOther graphs made by &Data

SpeciationOther graphs made by &Data

SpeciationOther graphs made by &Data

SpeciationTransfer your data to &Age

Copy/Paste group in &Age at Cell A8

A8

SpeciationStanding diversity by Age

See AbsDates for Age abbreviations

SpeciationTransfer your data to &O-S MX

Copy/Paste group in &O-S MX at Cell A8.

Repeat process for &P-T MX and &K-T MX

A8

Speciation ExtinctionGet 2 Ma intervals…

&O-S MX, &P-T MX and &K-T MX measure 2 million year intervals

across mass extinction events

SpeciationThe 3 Big mass extinctions

Blue line shows diversity at 2Ma interval, gray line shows Epoch intervals

Speciation

Blue line shows diversity at 2Ma interval; light gray

shows Age intervals; dark gray line shows

Epoch intervals

The 3 Big mass extinctions

Speciation ExtinctionSample 2: Plot the Tabulates

Copy group from Compendium and Paste in Cell A8 of

&Data.

Speciation

Tabulates include fewer taxa than the bryozoans, so you

need to highlight the remaining bryozoans & hit the delete key

Remove unwanted taxa

SpeciationRange chart squeezed to left

This common problem can be fixed

by changing the source data: follow

these steps…

Speciation

With the mouse over the colorful back-ground, click right mouse button and select Source Data

Fixing the range chart

Speciation

You will see that Columns E, H, N & O

are highlighted…

Fixing the range chart

Speciation

But these highlights extend beyond your data. This is causing

the left squeeze in the range chart

Fixing the range chart

Speciation

Fix problem by highlighting columns E, H, N & O so that only rows containing data are included. To

highlight multiple columns, you will

need to hold the Ctrl key while dragging

the mouse

Fixing the range chart

Speciation

First click on the Source Data icon

(circled here in red).Next highlight column

E down to the last entry. Scroll back to the top of the page. Press and hold the

Ctrl key. Now highlight column H.

Repeat for columns N and O (they can be

highlighted together).

Fixing the range chart

Speciation

Once all four columns are highlighted, let go

of the Ctrl key.Click the Source Data square (circled here

in red).

Fixing the range chart

Speciation

Select OK

Fixing the range chart

Speciation

Now the tabulate data stretches across the

graph area.

Fixing the range chart

Speciation

Sort your taxa: Use Data/Sort to organize your list stratigraphically

Fixing the range chart

SpeciationFixing the range chart