A new study It reveals that a region of the Turpan-Hami basin of China served as a refuge, or “life oasis”, for land plants during the Mass extinction of the permic endthe most serious biological crisis since the Cambrian period. Research, published in Science Advances, Challenge generalized opinion that ecosystems Terrestrial they suffered same catastrophic losses as marine environments During this period.
The discovery, directed by the Professor Liu Feng of the Institute of Geology and Paleontology of Nanjing (Nigpas) of the Academy of Sciences of China, provides the First conclusive fossil evidence of a community of land plants that remained largely unchanged during the extinction event, which allowed continuous evolution and a rapid ecological recovery later.
Land areas were protected
The team’s findings suggest that some land areas were protected from the worst effects of extinction, creating sources of resilience that played a crucial role in the recovery of life on earth.
The mass extinction of the end of the Permianoccurred does approximately 252 million yearsended with more than 80% of marine species. It has been attributed to volcanic eruptions in Siberia that triggered forest fires, acid rain and toxic gases, severely affecting terrestrial biodiversity. Proof of this is the extinction successive of the flora characteristic of Gigantopteris In southern China and of the typical flora of Glossopteris In Gondwana around the mass extinction of the end of the Permian.
However, some scientists argue that these catastrophic effects were limited by latitude and atmospheric circulation. Some fossil discoveries even suggest that Certain Mesozoic plants existed before extinctionwhich points to uninterrupted evolution.
A forest that resisted 320,000 years
The southern section of Taodongou in Xinjiang offers a unique perspective. The detailed analysis of pollen and fossil spores, together with precise dating methods based on a Bayesian age model developed by Professor Yang Wan, from the University of Missouri Science and Technology, has revealed a Continuous registration of vegetation in the area. It has been found that riparian ferns and coniferous forests They were part of the land ecosystem long before the extinction event and that, despite the biological crisis, managed to maintain and prosper in the region for 160,000 years after the end of extinction. This indicates that they not only survived the catastrophic event, but Your presence in the area extended for a total period of More than 320,000 yearsconsolidating the region as a long -term ecological refuge.
“The presence of intact tree trunks and ferns of ferns confirms even more than these microfossils represent local vegetation, not transported remains,” said Professor Wan Mingli of the Nigpas. Although some plant species disappeared locally, the general rate of extinction of spores and pollen species in the southern section of Taodongou was possibly only 21%, much lower than the marine extinction rate during the same period. This conclusion was based on the Discovery of numerous “missing” species in strata of the early Triassic elsewhere, indicating a temporary migration instead of permanent extinction.
Crucial for the recovery of the local ecosystem
This stable vegetable base was crucial for the rapid recovery of the local ecosystem. The fossil evidence shows that only 75,000 years after the end of extinctionthe area It housed various tetropodsincluding herbivorous Lystrosaurus And to the carnivore chroniosuquio, which demonstrates a rapid return to a complex trophic network. This discovery contrast with the previous idea that the recovery of the ecosystem after the extinction of the final Permian It took more than one million years. The new evidence suggests that local ecological diversity in this area recovered more than ten times faster than in other regions.
The researchers cited the Stable and semi -spoil climate of the region as crucial For his biological resilience. According to the analysis of the matrices of paleosuelos, the region constantly received around 1,000 mm of rain a year during this period. Thanks to its constant rainfall, Taodongou Sur offered a more abundant vegetation and a more habitable environment than other regions after the mass extinction of the final Permian, which provided a life support for migratory animals.
Despite its proximity to the volcanic activity that triggered the extinction of the end of the Permian, the Turpan-Hami basin provided an RInsurance effugio for Earth’s lifedemonstrating that even seemingly dangerous places can house a crucial biodiversity.
“This suggests that the local climate and geographical factors can create surprising sources of resilience, offering hope for conservation efforts against global environmental change,” concluded Professor Liu Feng. In a context of growing concern for the sixth mass extinction promoted by human activity, this discovery highlights the importance of identifying and protecting natural ecological shelters.
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