Minerals found in shipwreck and museum drawer 'show we are living in new epoch'

Researchers say 208 of more than 5,200 officially recognised minerals are exclusively, or largely, linked to human activity merely in last 200 years to indicate Anthropocene age

Humans are leaving an indelible mark on the planet in a vast array of manmade crystals, researchers have revealed, adding weight to idea that we are living in a new geological epoch - the Anthropocene.

Researchers say that 208 of more than 5,200 officially recognised minerals are exclusively, or largely, linked to human activity, with crystals forming in locations as diverse as shipwrecks, mines and even museum drawers.