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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Evolutionary trends within Jurassic ammonoids.

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An evolutionary trend is a pattern of traits shifting in a given direction over a sufficiently long period of time to be detected. In this study, we examine trends among Jurassic ammonoids. First, a compilation of selected literature on evolutionary patterns and trends leads to the conclusion that such trends have rarely been studied among Jurassic ammonoids and even more rarely are they formally studied using statistical tests. Second, a preliminary survey of trends for the entire Jurassic at the family level (based on four published articles) suggests two sustained trends occurred each lasting nearly 10 myr: the Early Jurassic and Middle Jurassic radiations, which were related to the first-order End-Triassic Extinction and to the second-order Early Toarcian Crisis, respectively. Finally, we discuss factors that may be responsible for the scarcity of proven trends among Jurassic ammonoids.