ancient ecosystems
Long-vanished natural communities
Ancient ecosystems are the communities of organisms and their environments that existed in Earth's distant past, typically studied through fossil records and geological evidence.
The term appears in paleontology and ecology to describe how plants, animals, and microorganisms interacted millions of years ago: Ancient ecosystems of the Jurassic period were dominated by dinosaurs and conifers.
Understanding ancient ecosystems helps scientists trace evolutionary patterns and predict responses to climate change.
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- CambrianEarliest Paleozoic period
- AmmonitesAncient Semitic tribe east of Jordan
- amber fossilPreserved organism in hardened tree sap
- PermianLate Paleozoic geological period
stromatolites · paleobotany · tree of life · Burgess Shale · primordial soup · paleoecology · Pangaea · Silurian · fossil record · La Brea · tar pit · Ordovician · Gondwana · Cyanobacteria · Devonian · petrified · mass extinction · extinction event