The largest mass extinction on Earth was caused by massive emissions of carbon dioxide2 and resulting climate change. At the same time, bacteria and algae multiply in the water. Does this remind you of anything? The same could happen now.
by mass extinctions, from ar Five already know .. marked by the disappearance of at least 75% of the Cash Animals or plants that live on our planet. Whether on land or at the bottom of the ocean. The most important of them was the so-called Permian-Triassic, which dates back to about 250 million years ago. at that time, emissions volcanic greenhouse gases they change weather from our planet. carbon dioxide (CO.)2) in a’Atmosphere From the ground at 1 pm! After that, the average temperature decreased from 25 to 40 ° C. Nearly 95% of marine life and 70% of life on Earth have disappeared.
by Researchers from the University of Connecticut Today (the United States) taught us that in parallel The weather changes, by bacteria and the algae They have been circulating in the waters for hundreds of thousands of years. Share their levelmass extinction Stream. because this MicroorganismsWhen their numbers become large, the oxygen in the water is depleted. and even leave it toxins.
Analysis of fossils, sediments and chemical data from rocks near Sydney, Australia already reveals that the first outbreaks of these microbes occurred much earlier. volcanic eruptions The main culprits of the Permian-Triassic mass extinction have been identified. Because once the animals they eat are gone, there is no longer anyone to regulate them. in systemsfresh water Life was teeming with algae and bacteria, and recovery was slow.
The worst can still be avoided
Researchers point out that this poisonous soup consists of three main ingredients: accelerated emissions greenhouse gasesand high temperatures and Nutrients plentiful – from deforestation In connection with volcanic eruptions, large-scale deforestation has led to soil flooding in rivers and lakes. Searching the fossil record for other mass extinctions, scientists have found similar evidence.
What worries them is that the three ingredients they describe are on Earth today. We know that the rate of introduction of carbon dioxide2 observed at that time was similar to the rate of increase in carbon dioxide2 that we observe today as a result of human influences.”, says Tracy Frank, a geologist, at A University of Connecticut press release. The average temperature of our planet is rising. The waters are flooded with nutrients, driven by agricultural pollution and deforestation. effects, “We are already seeing more and more toxic algal blooms in lakes and shallow marine environments.”Tracy Frank notes. Living things are similar to those of the Permian period texture, its filamentous structure, its brilliance and its focus. It feeds in fresh water with a temperature between 20 and 32 degrees Celsius. Exact range of averages latitudes near the end of our century.
Increased forest fires is another sign
Another great similarity with the Permian and Triassic mass extinctions is that the warming at that time coincided with a massive increase in Forest fires. They destroyed entire ecosystems. And now it’s repeating itself in places like California – or Siberia, Australia, Amazon »Chris Fielding, study author, adds.
So today we live in a kind of replica of the first version symptoms One of the largest mass extinctions on Earth. They are signs of an imbalance in the ecosystem. But unlike in the past, we still have the power to stop – or at least slow – the machine. By ensuring the good health of our waterways and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Because if we as human beings are accustomed to thinking in relatively short periods of time, we must not lose sight of it It took life on Earth four million years to recover from the Permian and Triassic mass extinctions.. “This feeds the mind.”Chris Fielding decides.
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