The geological and palaeontological records of climate change and evolutionary events reflect Earth's widely fluctuating climate systems. Past climates hold the clues to understanding future developments. In this context, research on linked climate, biodiversity and sea-level fluctuations of the Devonian contributes to the general knowledge of deep-time climate dynamics. A fruitful co-operation between the International Geoscience Programme IGCP 596 and the International Subcommission on Devonian Stratigraphy (SDS) addressed the complex succession of climate-linked Devonian global events of varying magnitude. The primary goal of IGCP 596 was to assess mid-Palaeozoic climate changes and their impact on marine and terrestrial biodiversity using an interdisciplinary approach. The focus of SDS includes a revision of the eustatic sea-level curve and the integration of refined chrono- and biostratigraphy with modern chemo-, magneto-, cyclo-, event- and sequence stratigraphy. This enabled the much improved dating and correlation of abiotic perturbations, evolutionary changes, organism and ecosystem ranges. Results by 37 authors are presented in 14 chapters, which cover the entire Devonian.
- Becker, R. T., Königshof, P. & Brett, C. E. Devonian climate, sea level and evolutionary events: an introduction
- Suttner, T. J. & Kido, E. Distinct sea-level fluctuations and deposition of a megaclast horizon in the neritic Rauchkofel Limestone (Wolayer area, Carnic Alps) correlate with the Lochkov–Prag Event
- Marshall, J. E. A. Palynological calibration of Devonian events at near-polar palaeolatitudes in the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic
- Jansen, U. Brachiopod faunas, facies and biostratigraphy of the Pridolian to lower Eifelian succession in the Rhenish Massif (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, Germany)
- Brocke, R., Fatka, O., Lindemann, R. H., Schindler, E. & Ver Straeten, C. A. Palynology, dacryoconarids and the lower Eifelian (Middle Devonian) Basal Choteč Event: case studies from the Prague and Appalachian basins
- Königshof, P., Da Silva, A. C., Suttner, T. J., Kido, E., Waters, J., Carmichael, S. K., Jansen, U., Pas, D. & Spassov, S. Shallow-water facies setting around the Kačák Event: a multidisciplinary approach
- Narkiewicz, K., Narkiewicz, M. & Bultynck, P. Conodont biofacies of the Taghanic transgressive interval (middle Givetian): Polish record and global comparisons
- Zambito, J. J. IV, Joachimski, M. M., Brett, C. E., Baird, G. C. & Aboussalam, Z. S. A carbonate carbon isotope record for the late Givetian (Middle Devonian) Global Taghanic Biocrisis in the type region (northern Appalachian Basin)
- Mottequin, B. & Poty, E. Kellwasser horizons, sea-level changes and brachiopod–coral crises during the late Frasnian in the Namur–Dinant Basin (southern Belgium): a synopsis
- McNamara, K. J. & Feist, R. The effect of environmental changes on the evolution and extinction of Late Devonian trilobites from the northern Canning Basin, Western Australia
- Hairapetian, V., Roelofs, B. P. A., Trinajstic, K. M. & Turner, S. Famennian survivor turiniid thelodonts of North and East Gondwana
- Hartenfels, S. & Becker, R. T. The global Annulata Events: review and new data from the Rheris Basin (northern Tafilalt) of SE Morocco
- Becker, R. T., Kaiser, S. I. & Aretz, M. Review of chrono-, litho- and biostratigraphy across the global Hangenberg Crisis and Devonian–Carboniferous Boundary
- Kaiser, S. I., Aretz, M. & Becker, R. T. The global Hangenberg Crisis (Devonian–Carboniferous transition): review of a first-order mass extinction
- Lakin, J. A., Marshall, J. E. A., Troth, I. & Harding, I. C. Greenhouse to icehouse: a biostratigraphic review of latest Devonian–Mississippian glaciations and their global effects