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last mo.

Fossils Reveal 'Life Oasis' in China During Earth's Greatest Mass Extinction

A newly discovered refugium in the Turpan-Hami Basin challenges assumptions about the impact of the end-Permian extinction on terrestrial ecosystems.

Image
Artistic reconstruction of the terrestrial ecological landscape during, before, and after the end of the Permian mass extinction based on fossil palynomorphs, plants, and tetrapods recovered, as well as sedimentological data from the South Taodonggou section in Xinjiang, China. Image credit: D.H. Yang.

Overview

  • Researchers identified a region in China's Turpan-Hami Basin that served as a refuge for plants and animals during the end-Permian mass extinction 252 million years ago.
  • Fossil evidence shows that riparian fern fields and coniferous forests thrived in the area for 160,000 years before and after the extinction event, supporting continuous evolution and rapid recovery.
  • The extinction rate for spore and pollen species in this region was only 21%, far lower than the 80% extinction rate observed in marine species during the same period.
  • Stable vegetation and a semi-humid climate with consistent rainfall of about 1,000mm per year supported a quick recovery of complex food webs, including herbivorous Lystrosaurus and carnivorous chroniosuchians.
  • This discovery highlights the importance of natural refugia in fostering biodiversity resilience, offering lessons for conservation efforts in the face of modern environmental challenges.