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Devonian palaeogeography and environmental change: an incomplete chronicle

Torsvik TH, Cocks LRM, Domeier M, Marcilly CM, Dowding E (2025)

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Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2025

Journal

Book Volume: 176

Pages Range: 193-214

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1127/zdgg/2025/0454

Abstract

The 60-million-year-long Devonian Period witnessed a host of major environmental changes, encompassing the rise and global expansion of large land plants, the occurrence of several major biological turnovers (including the third larg-est mass-extinction), and significant fluctuations in atmospheric CO2 that may have, enigmatically, been decoupled from coeval trends in global temperature. Despite their importance, the origins and impacts of these environmental changes re-main poorly understood. Palaeogeography undoubtedly played a key role in instigating and influencing these changes, but it too remains ill-resolved in Devonian time. Here we seek to both illuminate and promote the further consideration of the interplay between the evolving palaeogeography of the Devonian and its environmental transitions. We present a detailed dissection of the changing geography, palaeobiology and environment of the Devonian at the regional and global scale, to-gether with a series of new palaeogeographic and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. We also compare our new reconstructions with other widely used reconstructions from this time and discuss some key outstanding uncertainties whose resolution will be essential to further unravel the environmental dynamics of the Devonian, with implications that extend beyond the boundaries of this pivotal period.

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How to cite

APA:

Torsvik, T.H., Cocks, L.R.M., Domeier, M., Marcilly, C.M., & Dowding, E. (2025). Devonian palaeogeography and environmental change: an incomplete chronicle. Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften, 176(2), 193-214. https://doi.org/10.1127/zdgg/2025/0454

MLA:

Torsvik, Trond H., et al. "Devonian palaeogeography and environmental change: an incomplete chronicle." Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften 176.2 (2025): 193-214.

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