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The Mesozoic Marine Revolution (MMR) is the rapid adaption to shell-crushing (durophagous) and boring predation in benthic organisms throughout the Mesozoic era. The term was first coined by Geerat J. Vermeij (who based his work on Steven M. Stanley’s). It is thought to represent the important transition between the Palaeozoic evolutionary fauna and the Cenozoic evolutionary fauna that occurred throughout the Mesozoic. While initially constricted to the Late Cretaceous, more recent studies have suggested that the beginning of this ecological arms race extends back into the Norian (Late Triassic) The Mesozoic Marine Revolution was not the first bout of increased predation pressure; this also occurred around the end of the Ordovician. There appears to be some evidence of adaption to durophagy during the Palaeozoic, particularly in crinoids. ==Causes== The Mesozoic Marine Revolution was driven by the evolution of shell-crushing behaviour among Mesozoic marine predators, the technique being perfected in the Late Cretaceous. This forced shelled marine invertebrates to develop defences against this mode of predation or be wiped out. The consequences of this can be seen in many invertebrates today. Such predators are thought to include: Triassic placodonts, Triassic ichthyosaurs, ''Omphalosaurus'', Late Cretaceous mosasaurs and Cretaceous ptycodontoid sharks.〔 It is also thought that the break-up of Pangaea throughout the Mesozoic brought together previously isolated communities, forcing them to adapt. The increased shelf space caused by sea-level rise and a hyper-greenhouse climate provided more iterations and chances to evolve, resulting in increasing diversity.〔 Another proposal is the evolution of hermit crabs. These exploit the shells of deceased gastropods, effectively doubling the life-span of the shell. This allows durophagous predators nearly twice the prey, making it a viable niche to exploit.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mesozoic Marine Revolution」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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