The Cambrian explosion brought exactly that to Earth—an “explosion” of life that kickstarted the evolution of animals as we know them. Scientists have come up with a myriad of theories to explain this phenomenon, such as a recent paper on a literal sh*t-ton of poop. And here’s now another odd idea: gigantic Antarctic mountains that eroded millions of years ago.
To be exact, a new analysis of zircon particles from Antarctica strongly suggests that the barren lands once hosted an enormous mountain range. As these ancient mountains eroded over the years, they would have shed nutrients that fed organisms at the very bottom of the food chain…
Read the full article at GIZMODO.COM
