Dying in the Sun: Direct evidence for elevated UV-B radiation at the end-Permian mass extinction.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 36608140.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abo6102 and PMC identifier 9821938.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
Land plants can adjust the concentration of protective ultraviolet B (UV-B)-absorbing compounds (UACs) in the outer wall of their reproductive propagules in response to ambient UV-B flux. To infer changes in UV-B radiation flux at Earth's surface during the end-Permian mass extinction, we analyze UAC abundances in ca. 800 pollen grains from an independently dated Permian-Triassic boundary section in Tibet. Our data reveal an excursion in UACs that coincide with a spike in mercury concentration and a negative carbon-isotope excursion in the latest Permian deposits, suggesting a close temporal link between large-scale volcanic eruptions, global carbon and mercury cycle perturbations, and ozone layer disruption. Because enhanced UV-B radiation can exacerbate the environmental deterioration induced by massive magmatism, ozone depletion is considered a compelling ecological driver for the terrestrial mass extinction.