New Study Reveals Climate Change Led to Extinction of Ancient Marine Animals on Gondwana

Scientists believe they have unraveled a long-standing mystery surrounding the disappearance of a group of marine animals from the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. Gondwana, which existed from approximately 550 million years ago to about 180 million years ago, was a massive landmass that included present-day South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, India, Australia, and Antarctica, alongside another supercontinent called Laurasia. The enigmatic case centers around the Malvinoxhosan biota, an ancient group of water-dwelling creatures that vanished from Gondwana over a span of five million years.

For centuries, the cause of their disappearance remained elusive until a recent study shed new light on the matter. Published in the journal Earth-Science Reviews on Oct 13, the study suggests that climate change played a pivotal role in the extinction of the Malvinoxhosan biota. Lead author of the study, Cameron Penn-Clarke, likened the investigation to a "390-million-year-old murder mystery.

" The researchers reanalyzed hundreds of fossils belonging to the Malvinoxhosan biota and concluded that while the decrease in sea levels wasn't directly responsible for their demise, it set off a chain of climatic changes that proved fatal to the marine animals. The decline in sea level disrupted crucial ocean currents around the South Pole, known as "circumpolar thermal barriers," allowing warm equatorial waters to mix with colder southern waters. This alteration in the marine environment proved detrimental to the Malvinoxhosan biota, which thrived in cooler waters.

Ultimately, the group of marine animals vanished, leading to a catastrophic collapse of the ecosystem around the South Pole. Penn-Clarke emphasized the significance of the study in the context of the current biodiversity crisis, stating that it highlights the vulnerability of polar environments and ecosystems to fluctuations in sea level and temperature. He cautioned that any changes occurring in these regions are likely to have lasting and irreversible consequences.

Furthermore, the study drew parallels between the ancient extinction event that wiped out marine life in the South Pole millions of years ago and the current environmental challenges facing the planet. The findings underscore the need for heightened awareness and proactive measures to safeguard vulnerable ecosystems and species in the face of ongoing climate change. As the world grapples with the implications of past environmental crises and confronts the looming threats of climate change, studies like these serve as poignant reminders of the delicate balance between nature and human activities.

By unraveling the mysteries of the past, scientists hope to inform and guide efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and preserve the planet's biodiversity for future generations.