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The extinct marine megafauna of the Phanerozoic
- Catalina Pimiento, Kristína Kocáková, Gregor H. Mathes, Thodoris Argyriou, Edwin-Alberto Cadena, Jack A. Cooper, Dirley Cortés, Daniel J. Field, Christian Klug, Torsten M. Scheyer, Ana M. Valenzuela-Toro, Timon Buess, Meike Günter, Amanda M. Gardiner, Pascale Hatt, Geraldine Holdener, Giulia Jacober, Sabrina Kobelt, Sheldon Masseraz, Ian Mehli, Sarah Reiff, Eva Rigendinger, Mimo Ruckstuhl, Santana Schneider, Clarissa Seige, Nathalie Senn, Valeria Staccoli, Jessica Baumann, Livio Flüeler, Lino J. Guevara, Esin Ickin, Kimberley C. Kissling, Janis Rogenmoser, Dominik Spitznagel, Jaime A. Villafaña, Chiara Zanatta
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- Journal:
- Cambridge Prisms: Extinction / Volume 2 / 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 17 May 2024, e7
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The modern marine megafauna is known to play important ecological roles and includes many charismatic species that have drawn the attention of both the scientific community and the public. However, the extinct marine megafauna has never been assessed as a whole, nor has it been defined in deep time. Here, we review the literature to define and list the species that constitute the extinct marine megafauna, and to explore biological and ecological patterns throughout the Phanerozoic. We propose a size cut-off of 1 m of length to define the extinct marine megafauna. Based on this definition, we list 706 taxa belonging to eight main groups. We found that the extinct marine megafauna was conspicuous over the Phanerozoic and ubiquitous across all geological eras and periods, with the Mesozoic, especially the Cretaceous, having the greatest number of taxa. Marine reptiles include the largest size recorded (21 m; Shonisaurus sikanniensis) and contain the highest number of extinct marine megafaunal taxa. This contrasts with today’s assemblage, where marine animals achieve sizes of >30 m. The extinct marine megafaunal taxa were found to be well-represented in the Paleobiology Database, but not better sampled than their smaller counterparts. Among the extinct marine megafauna, there appears to be an overall increase in body size through time. Most extinct megafaunal taxa were inferred to be macropredators preferentially living in coastal environments. Across the Phanerozoic, megafaunal species had similar extinction risks as smaller species, in stark contrast to modern oceans where the large species are most affected by human perturbations. Our work represents a first step towards a better understanding of the marine megafauna that lived in the geological past. However, more work is required to expand our list of taxa and their traits so that we can obtain a more complete picture of their ecology and evolution.
Tattoos embody autobiographical memories
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- Kristina Klug, Christin Camia, Sonja Rohrmann
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- Journal:
- Memory, Mind & Media / Volume 3 / 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 11 March 2024, e9
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Autobiographical memories play a vital role in shaping personal identity. Therefore, individuals often use various methods like diaries and photographs to preserve precious memories. Tattoos also serve as a means of remembering, yet their role in autobiographical memory has received limited attention in research. To address this gap, we surveyed 161 adults (68.9 per cent female, M = 26.93, SD = 6.57) to explore the life events that motivated their tattoos and to examine their most significant memories. We then compared these findings with significant memories of 185 individuals without tattoos (80.0 per cent female, M = 31.26, SD = 15.34). The results showed that the majority of tattoos were inspired by unique life events, including specific events about personal growth, relationships, leisure activities, losses, or diseases. Even when not directly tied to specific events in life, tattoos still reflect autobiographical content, such as mottos, beliefs, and values. Furthermore, the most significant memories of younger tattooed individuals (20–24 years) tended to be more normative and less stressful compared to those of their non-tattooed counterparts in the same age group, though the nature of these memories varied. This difference was not found among older participants (30–54 years). Additionally, those without tattoos indicated to use specific objects and methods for preserving important events, suggesting tattoos are only one of several ways to reminisce. However, tattoos uniquely allow for the physical embodiment of autobiographical memories, indicating that engraving significant life events in the skin aids in reflecting on one's life story.