120 million years of Earth’s history: scientists have discovered a unique record at the bottom of a Canadian river
On the banks of the Peel River in Canada, researchers from Stanford University made an incredible discovery – stones that preserve a continuous record of life on Earth for 120 million years. This unique “chronology” covers the period from the Upper Cambrian (490 million years ago) to the Middle Devonian (370 million years ago), including the little-studied Ordovician and Silurian periods.
He writes about it IFLScience.
The rocks tell the story of the evolution of life on the bottom of the ancient ocean, from a time when oxygen was insufficient for most modern life forms to an era when fish became the dominant inhabitants of the seas.
The study of these stones allowed scientists to draw important conclusions:
- Earth’s atmosphere reached modern oxygen levels later than previously thought. This means that the first animals on Earth lived in a world with low oxygen content.
- The study of stones will help reveal the secrets of little-studied periods of Earth’s history. This will make it possible to better understand the evolution of life on the planet and the factors that influenced its development.
Gaining access to this unique record was a difficult task for the scientists, who had to overcome transport difficulties and limited time for fieldwork due to the harsh climatic conditions. However, the research results promise to be extremely valuable for science and understanding of our planet
