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Why did more Jurassic marine organisms begin burrowing deeper into seafloor sediment?
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Jurassic Period
Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the late Jurassic Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.
During the Jurassic Period, marine organisms began burrowing deeper into seafloor sediment primarily as a predator-avoidance adaptation. This behavior was a key component of the "Mesozoic Marine Revolution," an evolutionary arms race triggered by the radiation of more effective predators, including crabs, snails, echinoderms, and various marine vertebrates.12
As these predators became more efficient at hunting, prey speciesāsuch as bivalvesāevolved to burrow into the sediment to escape predation. This shift in behavior had significant ecological consequences, as it altered the nature of the seafloor, changed how marine organisms utilized space and resources, and influenced sedimentation styles.12