[–] frankenham 4 points -3 points 1 point (+1|-4) ago
I think there may be validity to the deluge theories, every ancient civilization has a story about it and they make sense in a way. Despite whatever the cause actually was, an enormous global flood would explain why we have cities underwater or fossil graveyards spanning the area of entire states, cities that are buried under dozens of feet of dirt, the existence of polystrate fossils ect.
[–] zbou 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
Cuz oxygen levels were twice what they are now, and eventually the resulting bonus plant material was buried in anoxic conditions.
[–] zbou 1 point -1 points 0 points (+0|-1) ago (edited ago)
Ok, that was my hypothesis as a geologist based on what I've learned in school and before reading the article. Who on earth thought the biomass couldnt rot sufficiently so created the coal seams, really.
[–] [deleted] 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
[–] losnoches ago
Scant though they are, fossils show us how insects, limited in size due to how they circulate oxygen, grew to be incredibly massive then as well in those oxygen rich times.