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David Harper

David Harper

Research Interests

David Harper

Mass extinctions over the last 500 myr : An astronomical cause?

Author

  • Anatoly D. Erlykin
  • David A T Harper
  • Terry Sloan
  • Arnold W. Wolfendale

Summary, in English

A Fourier analysis of the magnitudes and timing of the Phanerozoic mass extinctions (MEs) demonstrates that many of the periodicities claimed in other analyses are not statistically significant. Moreover we show that the periodicities associated with oscillations of the Solar System about the galactic plane are too irregular to give narrow peaks in the Fourier periodograms. This leads us to conclude that, apart from possibly a small number of major events, astronomical causes for MEs can largely be ruled out.

Department/s

  • Lithosphere and Biosphere Science

Publishing year

2017-03

Language

English

Pages

159-167

Publication/Series

Palaeontology

Volume

60

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Topic

  • Geology

Keywords

  • Astronomical processes
  • Mass extinctions
  • Periodicity
  • Phanerozoic

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0031-0239