Earth’s first major extinction was worse than we thought Fossil finds suggest nearly 80% of life on Earth died some 550 million years ago

Extraordinary new fossils from Newfoundland reveal an ancient mass extinction worse than the asteroid-driven calamity that killed the dinosaurs.

#Paleontology #KotlinCrisis #FossilFriday

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New for @science.org

bedding surface with large hemispherical Nimbia and several varieties of the chambered Palaeopascichnus gracilis and narrow P. linearis

detail showing the narrow chambered palaeopascichnus linear is

large Aspidella terranovica (oval) much smaller three lobed triforillonia beneath and a variety of chambered protists Palaeopascichnus

It’s midterms here at MUN & with cleanup from a 75cm 2 day snowstorm too it’s been a disrupted week, so a quick #FossilFriday post- #KotlinCrisis bedding plane from Ferryland NL with #Palaeopascichnus, #Aspidella terranovica & #Triforillonia material of Dr Latha Menon (submitting next week!!)

leaf shaped fossils of Charnia brasieri and Trepassia sp.

Mike Simon and Pascal removing the overlying soil (all by hand) the area in front is the size of the site in May 2025

Happy #FossilFriday how does a thread about the Inner Meadow biota and unexpected age for the fossils, and a refocusing of Martin Brasier’s #KotlinCrisis sound?
We’ve been trickling out our findings from Inner Meadow including #Charnia brasieri, #Aninoides and there's even cooler stuff in review. 🧵