Competition between silicifiers and non-silicifiers in the past and present ocean and its evolutionary impacts
Competition is a central part of the evolutionary process, and silicification is no exception: between biomineralized and non-biomineralized organisms, between siliceous and non-siliceous biomineralizing organisms, and between different silicifying groups. Here we discuss evolutionary competition at various scales, and how this has affected biogeochemical cycles of silicon, carbon, and other nutri