What did trilobites go extinct?

Nov 15, 2020
1
0
10
Visit site
It's really sad that no one noticed the awful title. It makes the whole LiveScience website seem less trustworthy. I'm sure you guys could find a freelance editor if you need one.
 
Nov 15, 2020
1
0
10
Visit site
It's WHY DID THE TRILOBITES GO EXTINCT

Omg, this title is incorrect. Doesn't anyone check the work BEFORE it's published?? This makes the writer look ignorant. I can't stand when I see articles with obvious errors. Fix the title!! Please!! 😂😂
 
Nov 15, 2020
1
0
10
Visit site
When did science articles turn into clickbait? "I came here to comment on the bad grammar." lol
Actually, in my experience the majority of the titles of science articles written for the average non-scientist reader are clickbait. The article usually doesn't reflect what the title suggests. This one shows editorial sloppiness, but at least it isn't misleading.
 
With respect to the content and not the curious title, the diversity of the trilobites seems to be the focus along with predation. There was no mention of what these early predators were, nor why an early rapid diversification is the key to evolutionary success. The evolution of the Trilobita is highly complex as are the environmental constraints. Using mass extinctions as a cause is an oversimplification when the actual physical environments were themselves so diverse and may have been better correlated with diversity loss.
 
  • Like
Reactions: david davids
Sep 10, 2020
5
3
35
Visit site
"... in biology animals are categorized into orders, families, groups and, finally, species..."

Groups? I assume the writer meant genera (genus).

Soon after this article posted, I emailed Jeanna Bryner, Editor-in-Chief of Livescience, to point out this and the other obvious error in the title of article ("What did trilobites go extinct?").

Only the title error has been corrected as of this writing, almost 2 days later.

This comes after another recent embarrassing error in an article written by a different Livescience writer. (That one was acknowledged and corrected.) It seems rather obvious that no editor is actually checking these articles before they get posted.

Livescience seems to be a second rate outlet when it comes to science news.
 
I cannot see where the title at the top of the thread was corrected by the administrators. But proofreading and correcting grammar and spelling are not major considerations unless there are ethical or legal ramifications. It's worth noting that few of the comments have been directed to the topic itself: Why did trilobites go extinct.
 
There were both pelagic and benthic species of trilobites so it is difficult to see how eating habits or changes in morphology could make an entire superorder go extinct. Those are characteristics that make taxonomic diversity high. Mass extinctions, by definition, are not selective.