Stay Curious

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND UNLOCK ONE MORE ARTICLE FOR FREE.

Sign Up

VIEW OUR Privacy Policy


Discover Magazine Logo

WANT MORE? KEEP READING FOR AS LOW AS $1.99!

Subscribe

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

FIND MY SUBSCRIPTION
Advertisement

470 Million-Year-Old Fossils Convey Prehistoric Climate History

A pair of amateur paleontologists recently dug up an extensive collection of fossils in southern France, revealing how species tried to escape prehistoric global warming.

Jack Knudson
ByJack Knudson
An artistic reconstruction of the Cabrières BiotaCredit: Christian McCall

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

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 ...

  • Jack Knudson

    Jack Knudson

    Jack Knudson is an assistant editor for Discover Magazine who writes articles on space, ancient humans, animals, and sustainability, and manages the Planet Earth column of the print issue.

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe
Advertisement

0 Free Articles