Evolution of Tree Roots May Have Driven Mass Extinctions
hubie writes:
The evolution of tree roots may have triggered a series of mass extinctions that rocked the Earth's oceans during the Devonian Period over 300 million years ago, according to a study led by scientists at IUPUI, along with colleagues in the United Kingdom.
[...] "Our analysis shows that the evolution of tree roots likely flooded past oceans with excess nutrients, causing massive algae growth," Filippelli said. "These rapid and destructive algae blooms would have depleted most of the oceans' oxygen, triggering catastrophic mass extinction events."
The Devonian Period, which occurred 419 million to 358 million years ago, before the evolution of life on land, is known for mass extinction events, during which it's estimated nearly 70 percent of all life on Earth perished.
The process outlined in the study - known scientifically as eutrophication - is remarkably similar to modern, albeit smaller-scale, phenomenon currently fueling broad "dead zones" in the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, as excess nutrients from fertilizers and other agricultural runoff trigger massive algae blooms that consume all of the water's oxygen.
[...] "These new insights into the catastrophic results of natural events in the ancient world may serve as a warning about the consequences of similar conditions arising from human activity today," Fillipelli said.
Journal Reference:
Matthew S. Smart et al., Enhanced terrestrial nutrient release during the Devonian emergence and expansion of forests: Evidence from lacustrine phosphorus and geochemical records [open], GSA Bull. (2022). DOI: 10.1130/B36384.1
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