How algae conquered the world – and other epic stories hidden in the rocks of the Flinders Ranges

Wed, 6 Sep 2023 18:36:11 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-algae-conquered-the-world-and-other-epic-stories-hidden-in-the-rocks-of-the-flinders-ranges-207152>

"Earth was not always so hospitable. Evidence of how it came to be so beautiful
and nurturing is locked in the rocks of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges – a
site now vying for World Heritage listing.

Our new research seeks to better understand this near billion-year-old story.
We discovered immense planetary upheaval recorded in the ranges.

In two related research projects, we’ve mapped how the continent that later
became Australia responded to the most extreme climate change known in Earth’s
history. We then dated this event.

The changes gave rise to algae. Their legacy is the oxygen we breathe and the
evolution of the first animals more than 500 million years ago. The soft bodies
of these animals have been exceptionally preserved at the new Nilpena-Ediacara
National Park, which opened in April 2023."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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