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Which groups disappeared during the Kellwasser Event?
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Devonian Period
Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the early Devonian Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.
The Kellwasser Event, which occurred at the Frasnian-Famennian boundary approximately 372.2 million years ago, resulted in the extinction of several significant marine groups.12
The groups that disappeared during this event include:
- Goniatites: Specifically the beloceratid and manticoceratid groups.12
- Conodonts: Many species of these primitive chordates.12
- Corals: Most colonial coral species.12
- Trilobites: Several distinct groups.12
- Brachiopods: Specifically the atrypid and pentamerid groups.12
These extinctions are part of a broader series of Devonian extinctions that significantly altered marine biodiversity during the Devonian Period. While the exact cause remains debated, the event is often associated with environmental stresses such as anoxia and global cooling.12