Scitechdaily iconScitechdailySep 16, 2026

Ancient Europe Burned for Thousands of Years As Ferns Fed the Flames

Ancient ferns may have helped keep Triassic Europe burning by rapidly regrowing after fires and supplying fresh fuel for the next blaze. Around 201 million years ago, Earth was rocked by the end-Triassic mass extinction.

Ancient Europe Burned for Thousands of Years As Ferns Fed the Flames

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Ancient ferns may have helped keep Triassic Europe burning by rapidly regrowing after fires and supplying fresh fuel for the next blaze.

Around 201 million years ago, Earth was rocked by the end-Triassic mass extinction.

The crisis has been linked to enormous volcanic activity associated with the breakup of Pangea.

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Ancient ferns may have helped keep Triassic Europe burning by rapidly regrowing after fires and supplying fresh fuel for the next blaze. Around 201 million years ago, Earth was rocked by the end-Triassic mass extinction. The crisis has been linked to enormous volcanic activity associated with the breakup of Pangea.

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Those eruptions released huge quantities [...]

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