BBC. Wild Europe. Genesis
About 730 millions of people live in Europe nowadays. But only about 2,6 million years ago there was an Ice Age – glaciers covered most of area. Before this, all area was covered by primeval forests – from modern territory of Lisbon to Saint-Petersburg. About 50 million years ago Paris and Vienna was under tropical seas. 100 million years ago Oxford and Florence was a Jurassic park. More than 200 million years ago Europe can contest with Sahara desert. 300 million years ago first forest began to cover the continent. And 500 million years ago Edinburgh was on a slope of giant ancient volcano.
The European continent drifted huge distances on Earth’s surface. 300 million years ago it was on equator – warm and humid climate is a good cradle for first forest.
There was a lush tropical rainforest around modern Paris filled with ferns, horsetails and club mosses. Fossilized remains of these plants were found in Scotland National park – this is the gleam of botanic wonders, because club mosses can reach 30 m high. Long before the birds appear, these forests accorded with very different inhabitants, like predatory dragonfly with 60 cm wingspan. It was a bug’s world, some principale myriapods can reach 2 m long. There was about 800 types of cockroach and 70 cm long scorpions hunting them. First land vertebrates lived in these swampy forests – amphibies.
Carbon period played privotal role – 300 million years’ legacy will revolutionize modern world. After global subsiding, forests was buried by layers of sand and mud – and that’s how coal was formed. The total thickness of all seam of coal can show us the scale of these forests.
Coal mining – one of the greatest innovations in Europe. This resulted Europe’s economical domination.
But Europe continent kept drifting to the north, so Pangea was formed. About 230 million years ago Europe was surrounded by another continents, so Europe was deserted. Forests disappeared completely and sand swallowed everything. At this period first dinosaurs appeared. Many shallow seas covered the Europe, which leaved salt as remains.
After 10 million years everything changed again. Fossil ammonites, mussels and squids was like tips, pointing at global changes. Sea water was filled with different animals. Ichthyosaurs was predators breathing air on surface and they was viviparous like dolphins nowadays.
70 million years ago corrals was growing in these warm tropical seas. Corrals, shells and silt accumulated on bottom. Millions of years of deposition and compression transformed it into limestone. Limestone is a perfect building material. This stone can reveal traces of dinosaurs. Fossils like that was founded across Europe.
Reptiles conquered the sky while dramatic changes affected on west coasts – Pangea continued to split apart and Atlantic ocean was formed. During this, another land animals appeared. Most obvious evident can found in Bavaria – perfect shots of archeopteryx captured in stone. Feathers was the main difference from reptiles. Archeopteryx was bird’s ancestor – now birds spread all around Earth.
Chalk cliffs of South England is an evidence of higher sea level – about 300 m higher, than now. Then was a huge disaster – asteroid’s fall.In Europe all animals held on for life. Extinction of the dinosaurs allowed another life forms to take their place. Amber is the proof of that – resin of ancient pine trees captured insects and wool.
Rise of mammals was about 50 million years ago. Now there are many descendants of them took place on Earth.
On Iceland’s shores visible remains of ancient eruptions marks rise of sea level. 60 million years ago North America and Greenland completely split apart from Europe. Atlantic ocean still growing from mid-ocean ridge. Modern Iceland shows, how Earth looked like 500 million years ago.
There was no Alps in 60 million years ago and Mediterranean Sea looked different. One thing was missed – one powerful push from African plate, what causes Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians etc. Alpine mountains still growing. Volcanoes of South Europe is a vivid example of powerful tectonic forces under our feet.
Growth of mountains was not only proof of tectonic nudges. Most of time Mediterranean Sea depends on narrow seaway on west – Gibraltar. Only 14 km separate Europe and Africa. With dropping sea level was formed vast dam. About 8000 km3 evaporated every year and Mediterranean Sea dried up. After 1000 years it became almost lifeless expanses of salt, sand and patched earth. River keep cutting through sea bottom chasing coastline. It was so hot, what waterfalls doesn’t even reach the bottom – water evaporates in air. Natural dam held Atlantic waters for thousands of years. But African plate pushed one more time and weaken the land bridge and Atlantic waters thunder into the basin. It was most immense flood in Earth’s history – more than 100 km3 of flowing water every day. Most amazing thing is what this repeated about 10 times. This event known as Messina Crisis.
Chain of incredible events is a distinctive feature of Europe’s palaegeographic history.