Ordovik byl přelomovým obdobím, kdy došlo k prudkému nárůstu biodiverzity v mořích a oceánech, kam byl v té době téměř výhradně soustředěn život. Globální ekosystém, jehož charakter určila tato velká, celosvětová biodiverzifikační událost (GOBE), byl však koncem ordoviku výrazně ovlivněn jedním z největších hromadných vymírání, které je řazeno do tzv. Velké pětky.

Použitá a citovaná literatura

Brenchley, Patrick J. Late Ordovician Extinction, 220-223. In Briggs Derek E. G.; Crowther Peter R. Palaeobiology II. Blackwell Publishing, 2003.

Conway Morris, Simon. Significance of Early Shells, 31-40. In Briggs Derek E. G.; Crowther Peter R. Palaeobiology II. Blackwell Publishing, 2003.

HARPER, David AT; HAMMARLUND, Emma U.; RASMUSSEN, Christian MØ. End Ordovician extinctions: a coincidence of causes. Gondwana Research, 2014, 25.4: 1294-1307.

SCOTESE, Christopher R., et al. Phanerozoic paleotemperatures: The earth’s changing climate during the last 540 million years. Earth-Science Reviews, 2021, 103503.

SEPKOSKI, J. John. A factor analytic description of the Phanerozoic marine fossil record. Paleobiology, 1981, 7.1: 36-53.

Sepkoski Jr., J. John. A kinetic model of Phanerozoic taxonomic diversity. III. Post-Paleozoic families and mass extinctions. Paleobiology, 1984, 10.2: 246–267.

Servais, Thomas; Lehnert, Oliver; Li, Jun; Mullins, Garry L.; Munnecke, Axel; Nüetzel, Alexander; Vecoli, Marco. The Ordovician Biodiversification: revolution in the oceanic trophic chain. Lethaia, 2008, 41.2: 99-109.

Stigall, Alycia L.; Edwards, Cole T.; Freeman, Rebecca L.; Rasmussen, Christian M. Ø. Coordinated biotic and abiotic change during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event: Darriwilian assembly of early Paleozoic building blocks. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2019, 530: 249-270.

Skevington, David. The lower boundary of the Ordovician System. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift, 1966, 46: 111-119.

Webby, Barry D.; Paris, Florentin; Droser, Mary L.; Percival, Ian G. (Eds.) The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. Columbia University Press, New York, 2004.

Whittington, Harry B.; Williams, Alwyn. The Ordovician period. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1964, 1.1: 241–254.

woOD, Rachel A. Evolution of Reefs, 57-62. In Briggs Derek E. G. a Crowther Peter R. Palaeobiology II. Blackwell Publishing, 2003.

The Ordovician was a turning point in biodiversity that sharply increased in seas and oceans, where life was almost exclusively concentrated at that time. However, the global ecosystem, determined by this Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE), was significantly affected in the latest Ordovician by one of the largest mass extinctions included in the Big Five.