Over the Mesozoic period, marine gastropods continued to evolve favored specific functional traits. More active motility, a surface-dwelling living habit, and a wide variety of feeding habits tended to be preferred. As time progressed, marine gastropods became vulnerable, with increasing amounts of ecological niches being occupied by fewer species. Despite the abrupt extinction event at the end of the Mesozoic, gastropod diversity began to decline steadily, beginning in the Bathonian age onward. This result is quite interesting and gives way to future opportunities to examine this decline in diversity further. The traits and species studied were obtained and defined using the Paleobiology (PBDB) database and other preexisting literature.
Author(s): Belak, Ethan., Wudke, Hannah., Lytle, Marion., Shaulis, Barry., Mcleod, Claire., Krekeler, Mark
Advisor(s): Madeline Ess, Geology
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