Billion-year-old impact sparks questions about life on land
Researchers used tiny zircon crystals as geological 'time capsules' to date the impact to 990 million years ago.
In a paper published on Tuesday in Geology, researchers show that the impact event occurred at a similar time to the emergence of some of the earliest known freshwater eukaryotes - the ancient ancestors of plants, animals and fungi. The revised dating suggests these life forms in Scotland were living at a similar time to a meteorite impact.
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This raises questions about impacts and how they may have influenced environmental conditions in ways that affected early ecosystems.
Co Author Professor Tony Prave, from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, said: 'The Stac Fada impact occurred on a landscape sculpted by rivers, lakes and estuaries containing thriving microbial ecosystems. Impacts typically blow away the land surface and create deep craters.
"What makes Stac Fada unique is that it preserves not only the record of the impact event but also of the actual land surface across which those ancient ecosystems existed prior to the impact and, importantly, how they recovered from such a natural disaster.'
The research was in collaboration between the University of St Andrews, Curtin University in Western Australia, NASA Johnson Space Centre and the University of Portsmouth.
Dr Chris Kirkland, from the Frontier Institute for Geoscience Solutions, Curtin University, said: 'These microscopic crystals recorded the exact moment of impact, with some even transforming into an incredibly rare mineral called reidite, which only forms under extreme pressures.
"This provided undeniable proof that a meteorite strike caused the Stac Fada deposit…confirming the impact at 990 million years ago.'
Dr Kirkland added: 'While the impact crater itself has yet to be found, this study has collected further clues that could finally reveal its location.
"Understanding when meteorite impacts occurred helps us explore their potential influence on Earth's environment and the expansion of life beyond the oceans.'
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