Page 103 - Introduction to Paleobiology and The Fossil Record

90 INTRODUCTION TO PALEOBIOLOGY AND THE FOSSIL RECORD

lake margin upland

open water shallow lake

(a)

(b)

Figure 4.12 (a) Trophic structures in and around a Late Carboniferous lake complex, Ny´rˇany,
Czechoslavakia. (b) Trophic structures in a Late Permian reef complex, northeast England. (a, based on
Benton 1990; b, from Hollingworth & Pettigrew 1998.)

Czechoslovakia (Fig. 4.12a). The lake ecosys- comparisons with modern relatives. For
tem recreated for the inhabitants of the Ny´rˇany example, in the open-water environments
Lake complex has three main ecological com- fishes, such as the spiny acanthodians, fed on

munities: an open water and lake association, plankton but were themselves attacked by the
dominated by fishes together with various amphibians, presumably at the top of the

larger amphibians; a shallow water and food chain. In the associated terrestrial envi-
swamp/lake association with amphibians, ronments, plant material was consumed by a

small fishes, land plants and other plant variety of invertebrates, including insects,

debris; and finally a terrestrial–marginal asso- millipedes, spiders, snails and worms; these
ciation with microsaur (small, primitive) provided food and nutrients for a range of
amphibians and primitive reptiles. Food small amphibians, themselves prey for larger
chains have been worked out for each of these amphibians and reptiles.
associations by careful study of the teeth (was A good example of a marine food web
it a herbivore with grinding teeth or a carni- comes from the Zechstein Reef facies of north-
vore with slashing teeth?) of each beast, and ern Europe, dating from the Late Permian