Context:
A new study reveals that a region in China’s Turpan-Hami Basin served as a “life oasis,” for terrestrial plants during the end-Permian mass extinction.
More on the News:
- The research, published in Science Advances challenges the widely held view that terrestrial ecosystems suffered the same catastrophic losses as marine environments during this period.
- The discovery, led by Prof. LIU Feng from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology (NIGPAS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, provides the first conclusive fossil evidence of a terrestrial plant community that remained largely undisturbed throughout the extinction event.
Key findings of the study:
The end-Permian mass extinction, which occurred approximately 252 million years ago, wiped out over 80% of marine species, and its impact on land has long been debated.
- A prevailing theory suggests that volcanic eruptions in Siberia triggered widespread terrestrial devastation through wildfires, acid rain, and toxic gases.
As per the study, some land areas were shielded from the worst effects of the extinction, creating pockets of resilience that played a crucial role in the rebound of life on Earth.
This life oasis where the place where plant species were able to persist and flourish while most of the planet’s biodiversity was lost.
The overall extinction rate of spore and pollen species in the South Taodonggou section was possibly only about 21%—far lower than the marine extinction rate during the same period.
In light of current concerns about a potential sixth mass extinction driven by human activity, the discovery of this “Life oasis” highlights the importance of identifying and protecting such natural refugia.
China’s Turpan-Hami Basin:
- The Turpan-Hami Basin in Xinjiang hosted lush vegetation and animals, enabling rapid ecological recovery after the crisis.
- It was the landscape of a densely populated lake plain by a forest of conifers or seed ferns during the Permian mass extinction, as indicated by the LA assemblages.
- Regional vegetation was characterized by an abundance of ferns with fewer gymnosperms and seed ferns, located on a lake delta.