Hierarchical Genetic Stratigraphy and Marine Paleoecology

Abstract

Stratigraphy provides a basic temporal and spatial framework for all studies of earth history. The foundations of stratigraphy were built in the 17th and 18th centuries through the efforts of Steno and Smith. Formalization of the principles of organic evolution followed closely in the mid-19th century with the publication of the Origin of Species. Although paleoecological observations span centuries, the establishment of paleoecology as a scientific discipline is a 20th century phenomenon. Initially, paleontology (paleobiology) was an integral part of stratigraphy and housed the subdisciplinary studies of evolution and paleoecology. Retention of a stratigraphic framework soon became difficult, perhaps due to the potential for circular reasoning in the evolutionary study of fossils. If the rock record was subdivided on the basis of fossils, how could the evolutionary relationships of these organisms be evaluated when they, or related forms, had been used to construct the temporal framework?