Background extinction due to species specialization? Insights from a high-resolution Jurassic ammonoid case study (Dactylioceratidae)
Journal: Paleobiology
Year: 2026

Abstract The extinction of clades outside mass extinction events remains an understudied aspect of evolutionary dynamics. This study examines the Dactylioceratidae, an ammonite family that disappeared during the Early Jurassic, outside a recognized mass extinction event. By using high-resolution taxonomic (species-level) and temporal (subchronozone) data, we assess its evolutionary trajectory, from diversification to extinction. Our analysis reveals that Dactylioceratidae experienced an initial