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Why do bones need to decompose? What possible evolutionary pressures could be exerted for traits that aren't expressed until after death? (See also the carboni
by BurritoAlPastor 9y ago
Why do bones need to decompose? What possible evolutionary pressures could be exerted for traits that aren't expressed until after death?
(See also the carboniferous period, before the evolution of wood-decomposing bacteria. 60 million years with no decomposition!)
- jdonaldson 9y agoDon't confuse trait selection for evolutionary pressures. If previous generation exhaust or over-sequester resources it dooms the species that relies on them. The carboniferous period sequestered a huge amount of carbon. That's a process spread across an enormous time frame. But, that was primarily atmospheric carbon, which can be circulated much better than terrestrial minerals. Since it was atmospheric, you wouldn't have localized shortages (air currents bring in fresh air). It took much longer, but the trees of the period gradually choked themselves out by pulling too much carbon out of the air. It just had to happen on a planetary scale and geologic time frame.