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https://theconversation.com/new-unified-theory-shows-how-past-landscapes-drove-the-evolution-of-earths-rich-diversity-of-life-217286>
"Earth’s surface is the living skin of our planet – it connects the physical,
chemical and biological systems.
Over geological time, this surface evolves. Rivers fragment the landscape into
an environmentally diverse range of habitats. These rivers also transfer
sediments from the mountains to the continental plains and ultimately the
oceans.
The idea that landscapes have influenced the trajectory of life on our planet
has a long history, dating back to the early 19th century scientific narratives
of German polymath Alexander von Humboldt. While we’ve learnt more since then,
many aspects of biodiversity evolution remain enigmatic. For example, it’s
still unclear why there is a 100-million-year gap between the explosion of
marine life and the development of plants on continents.
In research published in
Nature today, we propose a new theory that relates
the evolution of biodiversity over the past 540 million years to sediment
“pulses” controlled by past landscapes."
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
