Ancient life thrived after supercontinents trapped nutrient-rich soil

The changing flow of nutrient-rich soil across the planet as the continents shifted was a key driver of evolution and biodiversity, researchers have found – suggesting that the human-driven soil degradation we see today may be having a larger impact on ecosystems than previously considered.

Tristan Salles at the University of Sydney, Australia, and his colleagues made the discovery with a computer model that recreates the movement of Earth’s landmasses, using data on ancient precipitation,…