As the world gears up for an inevitable spike in temperatures over the coming decades, a newly found deposit of fossils might provide insight on the future actions of modern species.
"The distant past gives us a glimpse of our possible near future," said Jonathan Antcliffe, researcher at the University of Lausanne and co-author of the study, in a press release.
Two paleontology enthusiasts came across the fossil site in Montagne Noire, a mountain range in southern France, where they unearthed over 400 fossils of various ancient fauna. The fossils appeared to be in near-perfect condition; they consisted of not only shell-like components, but also rare softer features like digestive systems and cuticles.
These remains belong to species that lived during the Lower Ordovician period, around 470 million years ago. Researchers at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland have now taken a comprehensive look at the fossils and published their results in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
