Epibiosis across the Late Devonian biotic crisis: a review

Across the Late Devonian biotic crisis, sclerobionts declined in diversity and abundance and the proportions of brachiopod shell textures changed radically. Most of the major sclerobiont clades were common to Givetian through Mississippian ecosystems. Microconchids, most abundant sclerobiont in most Devonian assemblages, were replaced by bryozoans in the Mississippian. Diversity and abundance of Mississippian sclerobionts were lower than Frasnian–Famennian assemblages.Similarities across the Devonian–Mississippian include (a) the encrustation of large brachiopods; (b) gregarious settlement of some sclerobiont taxa; (c) space was not a limiting resource. The similarities and differences in epibiosis across the Devonian–Mississippian suggest potential questions for future study.