A relic of Earth’s past can be found in a river ecosystem in the Yucatan Peninsula. Marine ecologist Octavio Aburto-Oropeza and his fellow researchers revealed the existence of a swampy riverbed full of red mangrove trees in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The scientists state that the riverbed is a time capsule, and has been trapped in time for more than 100,000 years. The mangroves were able to survive and thrive even though it is far from the coastlines, appearing to have existed in isolation. “We hope our results convince the government of Tabasco and Mexico’s environmental administration of the need to protect this ecosystem,” the study team writes.
Image credit: Vanessa/Unsplash
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Ever heard of Caught in a Crossfire? Yucatan Suckaman - Caught in the Crossfire. That's me, on congos and moraccas.
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