Ancient Refuge in China Sustained Life Through Extinction 252 Million Years Ago
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📰 The quick summary: A region in China’s Turpan-Hami Basin served as a safe haven during Earth’s deadliest extinction event 252 million years ago, preserving plant life and enabling rapid ecosystem recovery.
📈 One key stat: Only 21% of plant species went extinct locally in this region, compared to over 80% species loss globally during the end-Permian mass extinction, demonstrating the area’s remarkable resilience.
💬 One key quote: “This suggests that local climate and geographic factors can create surprising pockets of resilience, offering hope for conservation efforts in the face of global environmental change, said Professor Feng Liu from NIGPAS.”
1️⃣ The big picture: Scientists have discovered evidence of an ancient refuge in China’s Turpan-Hami Basin that sheltered life during Earth’s most severe extinction event 252 million years ago. This region maintained stable vegetation and climate conditions when most other areas experienced devastating environmental changes. Detailed analysis of fossil pollen, spores, and plant remains shows that riparian fern fields and coniferous forests continued to thrive here before, during, and after the crisis. The area’s consistent rainfall of about 1000mm per year created favorable conditions that allowed both plants and animals to survive when most other regions saw massive die-offs.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The discovery reveals that some ecosystems can remain stable even during global environmental catastrophes. The region’s resilience allowed continuous plant evolution and provided crucial support for migrating animals seeking refuge. Local ecological diversity recovered more than ten times faster here than in other regions, taking only 75,000 years rather than the previously thought million-year timeline. This finding suggests that identifying and protecting similar refugia today can help preserve biodiversity during current environmental challenges.
3️⃣ What’s next: Researchers need to investigate more potential ancient refugia to better understand how some regions resist global environmental changes. The findings can help identify modern-day areas that might serve as refuges during climate change. Conservation efforts can focus on protecting these natural safe havens that could shelter species during environmental stress.
Read the full story here: SciTechDaily – Ancient “Life Oasis” in China Survived Earth’s Deadliest Mass Extinction
