Paleontologic Technique for Defining Ancient Pole Positions

Abstract

Taxonomnic diversity gradients appear to offer a quantitative paleontologic technique for obtaining ancient positions of the rotational pole of the earth. Statistical analysis of a model based on the taxonomic diversity of Recent planktonic foramninifera shows a close relationship to the latitudinal temperature gradient and, thus permits location of the pole. A similar analysis for Permian orthotetaceid brachiopods suggests a pole near the present position. A vailable data on diversity fit a present earth mizodel better than one based on Permian paleomagnetic results and thus suggest that it may be necesary to consider a model for the earth's magnetic field which does not require coincidence of the magnetic and rotational poles.