The biological evolution of biota is directly connected to the carbonate production. As organisms evolved so their skeletal remains varied in mineralogy as did the physico-chemical grains formed at different geological periods through time.

Studies into marine fossils have created benthic assemblages for the Paleozoic succession that are based on a specific environmental factor a key organisms always maintains. For example distance from the shoreline for brachiopods.

As can be seen from the figure above different groups of organisms played key roles in varying times throughout the geologic past as the earth evolved so too did the organisms building the carbonate factories.