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Discussion on ‘Tectonic and environmental controls on Palaeozoic fluvial environments: reassessing the impacts of early land plants on sedimentation’ Journal of the Geological Society, London, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2016-063

View ORCID ProfileNeil S. Davies, Martin R. Gibling, View ORCID ProfileWilliam J. McMahon, Ben J. Slater, View ORCID ProfileDarrel G. F. Long, Arden R. Bashforth, View ORCID ProfileChristopher M. Berry, Howard J. Falcon-Lang, Sanjeev Gupta, View ORCID ProfileMichael C. Rygel and Charles H. Wellman
Journal of the Geological Society, 174, 947-950, 17 April 2017, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2017-004
Neil S. Davies
1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
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  • ORCID record for Neil S. Davies
  • For correspondence: nsd27@cam.ac.uk
Martin R. Gibling
2Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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William J. McMahon
1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
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  • ORCID record for William J. McMahon
Ben J. Slater
3Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala Universitet, Villav. 16, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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Darrel G. F. Long
4Department of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
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  • ORCID record for Darrel G. F. Long
Arden R. Bashforth
5Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Voldgade 5–7, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
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Christopher M. Berry
6School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
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  • ORCID record for Christopher M. Berry
Howard J. Falcon-Lang
7Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
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Sanjeev Gupta
8Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Michael C. Rygel
9Department of Geology, State University of New York, College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY 13676, USA
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Charles H. Wellman
10Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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Extract

The first-order importance of tectonic and environmental controls for terrigenous sediment supply has rarely been questioned, but the role of vegetation in the modification of ancient alluvial signatures has been observed since the mid-20th century (Vogt 1941). Studies of sparsely vegetated rivers (Schumm 1968) and alluvial stratigraphic variation (Cotter 1978; Davies & Gibling 2010) led to observations of (1) plant modulation of alluvial signatures and (2) Palaeozoic facies shifts (PFS): unidirectional changes to facies diversity and frequency, in stratigraphic alliance with the plant fossil record. One PFS is the Siluro-Devonian appearance of mud-rich, architecturally complex alluvium, traditionally ascribed to meandering rivers, and sedimentologically distinct from pre-vegetation strata (Davies & Gibling 2010; Long 2011). Using selected secondary data, Santos et al. (2017) dispute the correlation of these observations using three key points, as follows. (1) The mid-Palaeozoic was typified by orogenic assembly of low-gradient equatorial continents and elevated sea-level, which led to tropical weathering (abundant fine sediment) and extensive alluvial plains. This drove the PFS by promoting river meandering independently of vegetation. (2) Meandering does not require vegetation; this is shown by examples in Precambrian deposits, on other planets, and in ‘non-vegetated’ deserts. Meandering rivers were more abundant than the pre-vegetation rock record suggests, owing to selective bypass and deflation of fine material. (3) Early Siluro-Devonian (meaning Ludlow–Early Devonian) land plants were too small, their biomass and cover too limited, and their wetland habitat too narrow to have stabilized meandering channels, influencing landscape little more than earlier microbial communities. We contest the conclusions and method of the paper, and deal with each point in turn.

  • © 2017 The Author(s)
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Journal of the Geological Society: 174 (5)
Journal of the Geological Society
Volume 174, Issue 5
September 2017
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Discussion on ‘Tectonic and environmental controls on Palaeozoic fluvial environments: reassessing the impacts of early land plants on sedimentation’ Journal of the Geological Society, London, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2016-063

Neil S. Davies, Martin R. Gibling, William J. McMahon, Ben J. Slater, Darrel G. F. Long, Arden R. Bashforth, Christopher M. Berry, Howard J. Falcon-Lang, Sanjeev Gupta, Michael C. Rygel and Charles H. Wellman
Journal of the Geological Society, 174, 947-950, 17 April 2017, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2017-004
Neil S. Davies
1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Neil S. Davies
  • For correspondence: nsd27@cam.ac.uk
Martin R. Gibling
2Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
William J. McMahon
1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for William J. McMahon
Ben J. Slater
3Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala Universitet, Villav. 16, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Darrel G. F. Long
4Department of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Darrel G. F. Long
Arden R. Bashforth
5Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Voldgade 5–7, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Christopher M. Berry
6School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Christopher M. Berry
Howard J. Falcon-Lang
7Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Sanjeev Gupta
8Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Michael C. Rygel
9Department of Geology, State University of New York, College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY 13676, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Michael C. Rygel
Charles H. Wellman
10Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site

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Discussion on ‘Tectonic and environmental controls on Palaeozoic fluvial environments: reassessing the impacts of early land plants on sedimentation’ Journal of the Geological Society, London, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2016-063

Neil S. Davies, Martin R. Gibling, William J. McMahon, Ben J. Slater, Darrel G. F. Long, Arden R. Bashforth, Christopher M. Berry, Howard J. Falcon-Lang, Sanjeev Gupta, Michael C. Rygel and Charles H. Wellman
Journal of the Geological Society, 174, 947-950, 17 April 2017, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2017-004
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