Russia: Traces of an ancient warm sea found in western Siberia

This coral indicates that there was a warm sea in this area about 350 million years ago, said Dr. Yana Fomina, a geologist and mineralogist.

“We have never found a reef this big before,” she said. “This is a very unique discovery. There is a fairly large quarry, and on its walls we found colonies of corals and everything related to the warm sea, knowing that these corals only live in warm waters.”

Scientists assume that volcanic processes took place near the ancient sea that existed in this place about 350 million years ago. Thus, the sea basin was heated by the volcano. This contributed to the reproduction of heat-loving animals in the sea. Fomina said that in the near future, scientists plan to begin detailed studies of the samples obtained and determine their exact date.

According to the researcher, the discovered remains date back to the Devonian period, the fourth geological period of the Paleozoic era. According to the Great Russian Encyclopedia, the Devonian period represents one of the peaks of biodiversity in the history of the evolution of life on Earth. It was in the Devonian period in particular that the first land plants, amphibians and insects appeared. Among marine invertebrates, coral reefs and bivalve mollusks flourished.

Source: TASS