dating back nearly 710 million yearsThanks decimon.
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Posted on 06/15/2011 1:42:07 PM PDT by decimon
New fossils suggest rapid recovery of life after global freeze.
The first organisms to emerge after an ancient worldwide glaciation likely evolved hardy survival skills, arming themselves with tough exteriors to weather a frozen climate.
Researchers at MIT, Harvard University and Smith College have discovered hundreds of microscopic fossils in rocks dating back nearly 710 million years, around the time when the planet emerged from a global glaciation, or “Snowball Earth,” event. The fossils are remnants of tiny, amoeba-like organisms that likely survived the harsh post-glacial environment by building armor and reaching out with microscopic “feet” to grab minerals from the environment, cobbling particles together to make protective shells.
The discovery is the earliest evidence of shell building, or agglutination, in the fossil record. The team found a diversity of fossils, suggesting life may have recovered relatively quickly following the first major Snowball Earth event. The researchers report their findings in an upcoming issue of Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
(Excerpt) Read more at web.mit.edu ...
Cold comfort ping.
We are still in an ice age today, for the majority of time when there has been terrestrial life on earth the planet has been relatively ice free at BOTH poles.
.
All I see are snow squares.
Is this in relation to the solar activity report? [giggles]
It may or may not get cold, it will get “fun”.
The snow hipsters were sleeping it off.
To me, the norm is some Spring day I enjoyed in my youth. I don't know what should be considered the norm for planet Earth.
In 200 years we may hope Algore was right about SUVs!
Winter is coming (/Game of Thrones).
dating back nearly 710 million yearsThanks decimon.
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