Hypothesis for the role of toxin-producing algae in Phanerozoic mass extinctions based on evidence from the geologic record and modern environments

摘要

Mass mortalities of invertebrates, fish, birds, and mammals caused by algal-produced toxins are occurring in modern environments. In addition to direct effects of these toxins, the large mass of organic material produced by algal blooms can lead to oxygen depletion during decay, which indirectly causes death of some biota. Toxin-producing algae occupy a wide range of modern marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. Their growth is favored by warm water temperatures, increased inorganic carbon concentrations (e.g., CO₂), and abundant nutrient supplies in aquatic environments. Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are responsible for most of the disease and death caused by algal toxicity today.