230 Impact of Past Global Warming on Biodiversity methane clathrates Extreme cases of greenhouse release to the atmosphere are the great mass extinctions of the fossil record, when many creatures died from the effects of hypoxia, hypercapnia, and pulmonary edema At lower levels of greenhouse gases, such lethal effects were limited in area to high altitudes, stagnant wetlands, oligotrophic coral reefs, and deep ocean basins Some consequences of global warming such as increased precipitation and warmth extending to highlatitude intercontinental land bridges had the effects of increasing biodiversity Hardships such as soil acidification and increased seasonality of climate selected for sclerophyllous, thickly cutinized plants Hardships such as hypoxia selected for greater respiratory scope in animals Such adaptations added to biodiversity The effects on biodiversity of global warming by greenhouse gases are complex, but a rich fossil and rock record of comparable events in the past promises new perspectives on future global warming See also: Atmospheric Gases References Baud A, Magaritz M, and Holser WT (1989) Permian–Triassic of the Tethys; carbon isotope studies Geol Rundsch 78: 649–677 Beerling DJ (2005) Evolutionary responses of land plants to atmospheric CO2 In: Ehleringer JR, Cerling TE, and Dearing MD (eds.) 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