title: Paleoceanographic events and deep-sea ostracodes.
abstract: Eight recognized or theorized paleoceanographic events during the past 70 million years were tested against changes in the global deep-sea benthic ostracode fauna. Two events, the sudden Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event at 66 million years ago and the more gradual 40-million-year event (formation of the psychrosphere), show up most dramatically. Before the 40-million-year event, ostracodes freely radiated into the deeper water regions but were provincial. The development of thermal stratification isolated these deep-water taxa, mostly the survivors of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event, which adapted to a new, free-flowing but more frigid ecosystem and spread rapidly throughout the world.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Deck