Fossils could hold clues to surviving climate change
January 30, 2025 11:31 AM Subscribe
How fossils of giant ringtail possums, marsupial lions and monster koalas could hold clues to surviving climate change.
The fossils of prehistoric megafauna, which have been perfectly preserved for hundreds of thousands of years, give scientists an insight into how climate change affects species.
No, I think it's saying that we need to turn into fossils to survive climate change. That sounds about right, if you think about it. We're the reason for the global warming, so the only way for living things to survive is for us humans to die off.
posted by NoMich at 12:19 PM on January 30 [1 favorite]
posted by NoMich at 12:19 PM on January 30 [1 favorite]
Thanks for sharing! I passed it along to my partner who is a professor of paleontology (specifically palynology). Fossilized pollen is great because it's the only thing durable enough in most plants likely to survive in the fossil record. Sure, the occasional flamboyant fern shows up in the perfect conditions for preservation, but generally, almost no plant structures survive in fossils apart from pollen.
By taking core samples, you can study the quantity of pollen from different plants at different phases and understand how different species adapted to changing climates in previous cycles, to better understand what different parts of our globe are facing in the coming century.
It can sometimes be a little dispiriting, of course, but it's neat science and I'm glad that there are thoughtful people hammering away at this!
posted by robot_jesus at 12:22 PM on January 30 [3 favorites]
By taking core samples, you can study the quantity of pollen from different plants at different phases and understand how different species adapted to changing climates in previous cycles, to better understand what different parts of our globe are facing in the coming century.
It can sometimes be a little dispiriting, of course, but it's neat science and I'm glad that there are thoughtful people hammering away at this!
posted by robot_jesus at 12:22 PM on January 30 [3 favorites]
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posted by torokunai2 at 12:02 PM on January 30 [1 favorite]