Almost a hundred new animal species have been found in a small quarry in China, dating back to a mass extinction event over 500 million years ago. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences made this exciting discovery in Hunan province.
This site is remarkable. The team uncovered over 50,000 fossil specimens from a quarry measuring just 12 meters high, 30 meters long, and 8 meters wide. Among these fossils, they identified more than 150 different species—91 of which are new to science.
Lead researcher Han Zeng described the thrilling moment they realized these ancient animals were preserved in the rock. Many fossils even show detailed soft parts, including gills, guts, and eyes. Among the newly discovered species are ancient relatives of worms, sponges, and jellyfish, as well as various arthropods, like spiny creatures called radiodonts, which were top predators at the time.
The period in which these fossils existed is particularly intriguing. Life began on Earth more than 3.5 billion years ago, but for much of that time, it remained simple. The Cambrian explosion, around 540 million years ago, marked a dramatic shift in evolution, leading to the rise of many animal groups we recognize today. This explosion of life was likely linked to a rise in oxygen levels in the atmosphere.
However, around 513 million years ago, a mass extinction event known as the Sinsk event caused a significant drop in animal populations. This event is less famous than others, like the extinction of the dinosaurs, yet it also played a crucial role in shaping early life.
The Huayuan biota, named after the county where the fossils were found, provides new insights into what happened in the aftermath of the Sinsk event. Han explained that since these fossils date to just after that extinction, they offer a new window into this mysterious period.
Michael Lee, an evolutionary biologist from the South Australian Museum, commented on the significance of these fossils. He noted that the Sinsk event primarily affected shallow water species. He likened the stability of the deep ocean to a cellar that remains unaffected by external changes, allowing some species to survive.
Surprisingly, some of the animals found in this quarry were also discovered at the Burgess Shale site in Canada. This suggests that animals could have traveled vast distances across oceans even during this early stage of evolution. Han was particularly taken aback by this revelation.
The Sinsk event may not be among the most well-known extinction events, but Han pointed out that there have been at least 18 significant extinctions in the last 540 million years. Understanding these events is crucial, especially as recent studies suggest that dinosaurs were still thriving in North America before the asteroid impact that led to their mass extinction.
This discovery not only deepens our understanding of evolutionary history but also highlights the resilience of life in the face of catastrophic events. It reminds us of the dynamic nature of our planet and the ongoing story of life that continues to unfold.
For more on this intriguing discovery, you can read the detailed study published in Nature here.
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China, Fossil
