The Prevalence of Specific Ecologies in Marine Organisms with Relation to Environmental Factors

Abstract:

The environment is constantly changing; in recent times, the issue of global warming in particular has raised concerns about ecosystems. Marine organisms are just one type of organism affected by environmental changes; by studying how changes in the environment in the past have affected evolution, we can make predictions for the future. Drastic environmental changes have occurred since the beginning of the Cambrian (541 Ma), as have changes in the ecologies of different phyla and marine organisms as a whole. Organisms must adapt to changing environments, and by analyzing the correlations between the two variables, we can find out which environmental factors play roles in the prevalences of characteristics in populations. Distinctive patterns in the originations and extinctions of ecologies in large fractions of a population and the changes in environmental conditions are visible through careful analysis. We have found, through correlation tests between factors, that statistically significant correlations (p-values < 5%) do exist between certain ecologies (including motility, feeding habits, and tiering) and environmental factors. In particular, these include changes in sea level and carbon dioxide levels, two of the biggest effects of global warming that is currently occurring. Research into these factors is important for our understanding of the changing world of today.

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