Oyster fossils offer new insights into history of global warming

Oysters don’t just taste good—they can also tell us about Earth’s past climate. Scientists found that the growth rings on oyster shells, like tree rings, show seasonal changes from millions of years ago.

A new study of oyster fossils from 140 million years ago shows that even during warm “greenhouse” times, Earth still had seasons and glaciers. Summers were much warmer than winters, and glaciers melted and refroze.

This challenges the idea that ancient warm periods had no ice. The research suggests that climate change is not just steady warming—it can be unpredictable, with both hot and cold periods.

The study was done by scientists from China, Germany, the UK, and Madagascar and published in Science Advances.

Credit : CGTN