The Port Askaig Formation reveals evidence of Earth's transition from a warm climate to a frozen snowball during the Sturtian glaciation.
Scottish rocks dating back 662 to 720 million years ago may serve as a ‘golden spike’ marking the start of the Cryogenian Period.Standing on limestone beds of the pre-glacial Garvellach Formation, looking North from Garbh Eileach over to Dun Chonnuil. Due to tectonic tilting, the sedimentary layers get younger, and closer to the onset of glaciation, as you move to the right.
“These rocks record a time when Earth was covered in ice,” said Graham Shields, a geologist from University College London and co-author of the study. “All complex, multicellular life, such as animals, arose out of this deep freeze, with the first evidence in the fossil record appearing shortly after the planet thawed.”, which spans from approximately 635 to 720 million years ago. This glaciation is one of two major freezing events during this era.
“The retreat of the ice would have been catastrophic. Life had been used to tens of millions of years of deep freeze,” Shields explained. “As soon as the world warmed up, all of life would have had to compete in an arms race to adapt. Whatever survived were the ancestors of all animals.”, a significant rock formation spanning parts of present-day Scotland and Ireland. The formation consists of layers up to half a mile thick, with crucial exposures found on the Scottish Garvellachs islands.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Golden spike' showing the moment Earth turned into a giant snowball discovered in ancient Scottish rocksHannah Osborne is the planet Earth and animals editor at Live Science. Prior to Live Science, she worked for several years at Newsweek as the science editor. Before this she was science editor at International Business Times U.K. Hannah holds a master's in journalism from Goldsmith's, University of London.
Read more »
Scottish and Irish rocks confirmed as rare record of 'snowball Earth'A rock formation spanning Ireland and Scotland may be the world's most complete record of 'snowball Earth,' a crucial moment in planetary history when the globe was covered in ice, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.
Read more »
Rare Record of Snowball Earth Confirmed in Scottish and Irish RocksResearchers examine rocks from before and after a major glaciation event called Snowball Earth to describe an evolutionary transition.
Read more »
Geologists find solid evidence of ancient ‘snowball Earth’Laura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life. Laura is a proud former resident of the New Jersey shore, a competitive swimmer, and a fierce defender of the Oxford comma.
Read more »
10 Biggest Differences Between The MCU Timeline & Fox's X-Men Timeline After Deadpool & WolverineCaptain America, Wolverine and the Scarlet Witch in Earth-616 and Earth-10005
Read more »
Sea level changes shaped early life on Earth, fossil study revealsShifts in the Earth's continental plates that drove long-term changes in sea level set the stage for the evolution of the earliest animals on Earth, a study suggests.
Read more »