Dinosaur teeth used to recreate prehistoric air for the first time

Time of India

5 days ago

In a groundbreaking scientific breakthrough, researchers have successfully reconstructed the
prehistoric atmosphere
using
fossilized dinosaur teeth
. This achievement could reshape our understanding of Earth's
ancient climate
. Led by geochemist Dingsu Feng of the University of Göttingen, the international team analyzed oxygen isotopes preserved in the enamel of teeth from the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods. Their findings reveal not only the composition of the air dinosaurs once breathed but also hint at sudden, massive CO2 spikes likely linked to volcanic activity. The results provide a new method to study climate dynamics over deep time and understand extinction events.
How dinosaur teeth preserve ancient atmospheric clues
The study focused on the analysis of oxygen-17, a rare isotope that leaves behind telltale chemical signatures when inhaled by air-breathing vertebrates. Over millions of years, these signals remain preserved in durable tissues such as tooth enamel. Because teeth are less susceptible to environmental contamination, they serve as reliable time capsules of ancient biology and atmospheric conditions.
Researchers examined previously collected tooth enamel powders from museum specimens across Europe, including those of Tyrannosaurus rex and Kaatedocus, a sauropod dinosaur. These samples held valuable information about oxygen ratios, which correlate with atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
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CO2 levels in the age of dinosaurs
Based on the isotope readings, scientists determined that atmospheric CO2 levels were far higher during the Mesozoic era than today. In the late Jurassic, CO2 concentrations reached about 1,200 parts per million (ppm). During the late Cretaceous, this figure dropped slightly to around 750 ppm. For comparison, modern atmospheric CO2 levels hover around 430 ppm.
This confirms previous models suggesting that dinosaurs lived in a hotter, more carbon-rich world, largely influenced by natural processes such as plate tectonics and sustained volcanic activity.
Volcanic activity and sudden climate changes
A particularly fascinating discovery was the spike in isotope anomalies in two specific teeth—one from a T. rex and another from a Kaatedocus. These anomalies suggest short-lived but significant surges in atmospheric CO2. Scientists believe these may be linked to massive volcanic eruptions, such as flood basalt events, which released enormous amounts of CO2 in a short geological timeframe.
Such findings support the idea that volcanic CO2 emissions played a major role in driving rapid climate changes, which may have affected ecosystems and evolutionary pressures on land-dwelling vertebrates.
Implications for modern climate science
The ability to reconstruct prehistoric air with such precision opens new doors for understanding both past and future climate patterns. By identifying CO2 fluctuations during the age of dinosaurs, researchers can refine models that predict how modern ecosystems might respond to accelerated carbon emissions.
This study also highlights the potential of fossilized remains as archives of environmental data, giving scientists tools to trace how life and climate have co-evolved over hundreds of millions of years.
Next target: The Great Dying
Buoyed by their success, the team now plans to apply the same method to fossils from the Permian-Triassic extinction event, known as the Great Dying, which occurred 252 million years ago. This catastrophic period saw the extinction of over 90% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial life, likely due to prolonged volcanic eruptions in what is now Siberia.
By analyzing teeth from this period, researchers hope to uncover how atmospheric CO2 behaved before, during, and after this global extinction, offering new clues into Earth's resilience and recovery mechanisms.
From volcanic eruptions to global extinction events, dinosaur teeth have revealed more than just what these creatures ate. They've opened a window into the very air they breathed. This pioneering research underscores the power of modern geochemistry and paleontology to unravel the secrets of Earth's deep past, with implications that stretch far into the planet's uncertain climatic future.