The search for land refuges becomes essential for the survival of humans during a hypothetical sixth mass extinction. There is some insight to be gained from studying similar crises, but no fossil evidence exists of megafloral ecologies that survived the end-Permian extinction. Paleontologists have studied plant fossils, tetrapods, and microfossils in the Permian and Triassic South Taodonggou sections of Xinjiang. The fossils reveal rich gymnospermous forest and fern field in the region, while marine life experienced mass extinction.
Reconstruction of the landscape of the South Taodonggou section of Xinjiang based on the fossils of palynomorphs and plants as well as the sedimentological data. D.H. Yang is the image credit.
It is generally accepted that the end-Permian extinction occurred about 252 millions years ago and was the worst of the five Phanerozoic mass extinctions. The marine fossil record confirms that this catastrophic event led to the extinction of 80% of all known species. Scientists believe that Siberian volcanic eruptions caused widespread destruction on Earth through acid rain and toxic gasses, wildfires and other forms of devastation. This is evidenced by the extinctions of Gigantopteris ( ) flora from South China, and Glossopteris ( ) flora throughout Gondwanaland at the end-Permian Mass extinction. Other scientists, however, argue that the catastrophic effects of these extinctions were restricted by atmospheric circulation and latitude.
Certain fossil discoveries suggest Mesozoic plant life existed prior to the extinction, which points towards an uninterrupted evolutionary process. Newly-discovered fossils in Turpan-Hami Basin, Xinjiang Province, northwest China’s, South Taodonggou Section, provide a new perspective. The presence of tree trunks and stems of ferns confirms the microfossils are local and not remnants of transported vegetation. Professor Mingli Wan is a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The researchers discovered that although some plants species had disappeared, there was a much lower rate of global extinction for spores and pollens in South Taodonggou than during marine times. The discovery of a large number of’missing species’ in Early Triassic strata elsewhere led to this conclusion. This indicates that the species were not permanently extinct, but rather had migrated temporarily. The stable base of vegetation was critical for the quick recovery of the local eco-system. The fossil evidence indicates that the ecosystem recovered quickly after 75,000 years, with a variety of tetrapods including the herbivorous Lystrosaurus and the carnivorous Chroniosuchians. The discovery is in contrast to the old belief that the ecosystem recovered after the end Permian mass extinction over one million years. New evidence indicates that local biodiversity in this region recovered ten-times faster than other regions. Scientists credited the semi-humid, stable climate of this region for its high biological resilience. The region received around 1,000 mm per year of rain, according to an analysis of the paleosol matrixes. South Taodonggou, due to its constant precipitation, provided a more hospitable and abundant environment following the end Permian mass-extinction. This was vital for migrating mammals. The Turpan-Hami Basin, located near the volcanoes that caused the end-Permian mass extinction, provided an oasis for terrestrial life. This shows that even dangerous places can support vital biodiversity. This suggests that the local climate and geography can produce pockets of surprising resilience. It offers hope to conservation efforts when faced with global environmental changes, said Professor Feng Liu from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In light of the current concern about the potential for a sixth mass extinction caused by human activity the discovery of this “Life Oasis” highlights the importance to identify and protect such natural refuges.
This study was published in Science Advances.
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Huiping Peng et al. 2025. The flora of the Permian end-period survived the mass extinction. Science Advances11 (11); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ads5614
