Study Claims Ancient Supernova Helped Evolution Of Human Legs
A new study claimed that a supernova that occurred millions of years ago triggered an important atmospheric event on Earth that helped in the evolution of humans. According to the study, the ancient supernova caused environmental conditions that led to humans walking on two legs.
In the study, the authors explained that a dying star went supernova millions of years ago. The massive cosmic explosion sent highly charged particles into space. The emission from the supernova, which was about 150 to 300 lights years away from the Solar System, eventually reached Earth.
The energetic cosmic particles produced from the supernova entered Earth and interacted with its atmosphere. Due to the increased presence of high-energy particles in the atmosphere, lightning strikes became more frequent.
During the time when Earth’s land regions are mostly covered by thick vegetation and forests, lightning strikes can easily cause wildfires to ignite. Due to the increase in the frequency of lightning strikes, wildfires in various areas burned down forests and cleared vast areas.
“We build on previous work to argue for the likelihood of cosmic ray ionization of the atmosphere and electron cascades leading to more frequent lightning and therefore an increase in nitrate deposition and wildfires,” the authors wrote in the study, which was published in The Journal of Geology.
“The potential exists for a large increase in the prehuman nitrate flux onto the surface, which has previously been argued to lead to CO2 drawdown and cooling of the climate,” they added.
The new surroundings provided ancient humans with a different hunting ground. It helped them adapt by learning that they can spot prey at great distances if they stand upright. The new surroundings also helped them be able to run faster on two legs. Eventually, their new hunting strategies helped them evolve and adopt a bipedal stance
“Evidence for increased wildfires exists in an increase in soot and carbon deposits over the relevant period,” the researchers stated. “The wildfires would have contributed to the transition from forest to savanna in northeast Africa, long argued to have been a factor in the evolution of hominin bipedalism.”
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.