Researchers Find Evidence of Mass Destruction in the Past

The fossil is believed to be evidence of mass destruction which occurred about 252 million years ago. 

 

Fossils of ancient dolphins found in Louping

At an excavation site in Luoping, Yunnan province, southwest region of China, researchers found almost 20 thousand fossils. The discovery of fossils in the number of very much this is tantamount to the discovery of a complete ecosystem. 

Reptiles, fish, and fossils of other marine life complete a number of smaller-sized fossils found earlier.

A collection of fossils was believed to be evidence of the mass destruction of living things on Earth, due to volcanic activity that occurred at the end of the Permian era, about 252 million years ago.

Mike Benton, Professor of Bristol University School of Sciences and Shixue Eearth Hu of the Chengdu China Geological Center said the limestone layer 16 meters thick protective of these fossils come from the past. "At that time, the South China still is a giant island that was slightly above the equator and has a tropical climate," he said.

"The discovery of fossils of land plants also indicate that this aquatic communities living near forest tree ferns," said Benton, as quoted by the Examiner, December 23, 2010.

The fossils were found, said Benton, with a very well kept, with more than half remained in complete condition, including soft tissue. "It seems they were protected by layers of microbes throughout the period that immediately closed the living body that not long after they die," he said.

Throughout its history during the last 4.5 billion years, the planet Earth has experienced several mass extinction events. However, quoted from RedOrbit, terrible events that befall the ecosystem in the Permian era took place in the scale of "not unprecedented" and cause the extinction of 96 percent of marine life and 70 percent of terrestrial vertebrates.

Only one in ten species survived and they became the basis of recovery of life in the next period, called the Triassic.

"The recovery of mass destruction seems to take between 1 to 4 million years," said Benton. "The incident at the end of the Permian is very powerful, killing about 90 percent of the species to ecosystems have nothing left to resume their lives," said Benton.

Currently, researchers focused on finding clues that could help them determine what species survived the incident at the end of the Permian era. Furthermore, the fossils 'treasure trove' of the Permian era, will be used by researchers to study how certain species can adapt and survive after experiencing a mass extinction.