A 5-million-year-old fossil discovery has uncovered the true cause of Earth’s most severe mass extinction event, providing a chilling warning about the fragility of our current climate systems. The study, published in Nature Communications, reveals that the collapse of tropical forests and volcanic activity combined to create an era of intense global warming.
The Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction, also known as the “Great Dying,” occurred 252 million years ago when massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia led to a catastrophic collapse of marine species. However, fossil evidence now suggests that the true cause of the prolonged heatwave was not volcanic activity, but the loss of tropical forests.
These forests played a critical role in capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but their collapse significantly reduced Earth’s ability to absorb CO2. This failure allowed atmospheric CO2 levels to remain elevated, continuing the warming process for millions of years.
The study’s findings stress the importance of preserving tropical forests, not just for maintaining biodiversity but for safeguarding the future of the planet’s climate. The research calls for a shift in how we think about climate resilience, emphasizing that preserving natural systems is far more cost-effective than attempting to reverse damage once it’s done.
As scientists warn, if rapid warming causes similar collapses in tropical forests, it may be impossible for the planet to cool without significant intervention. This poses a grim threat to modern-day climate change and highlights the urgent need for global efforts to prevent further deforestation.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/08/5-million-year-heatwave-earth-extinction