Bacteria and salt lake help dinosaurs hegemony

Russian and German scientists believe that a bacterium in salty lakes in ancient times caused a mass extinction of many species on the earth, paving the way for the dominance of dinosaurs.

The extinction of the majority of animals and plants on Earth in ancient times paved the way for the period of the dinosaur domination.Photo: topnews.in.

About 90% of species (both animals and plants) under the sea and 70% of land species have disappeared from the Earth within a million years - a tremendous speed for paleontologists. This phenomenon led to the dominance of dinosaurs at a later stage.

That mass extinction is still a mystery to the scientific world. Many theories suggest that it begins with volcanic activities or the impact of a giant meteorite on earth. However, scientists from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (the Russian Academy of Sciences), the Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig (Germany) and the Max Planck Institute of Nuclear Physics (Germany) think otherwise.

Paleontologists of these organizations believe that bacteria in salty lakes in ancient times caused a mass extinction of many species on the earth. These bacteria produce halocarbons - compounds formed by the bond between carbon atoms and one or more halogen atoms.

Halophytic bacteria live in salt lakes and are one of the oldest life forms on the planet. They quickly invaded the entire planet because of their excellent heat and cold resistance. Halophytic bacteria survive the dry season (when lakes are salty) because they survive between salt crystals. They only need salt to survive and will build up as soon as fresh water rises.

Halocarbon compounds - which Halophytic bacteria produce - are capable of causing great harm to the environment. When entering the atmosphere, it produces photochemical reactions that cause ozone layer to be eroded. The depletion of the ozone layer may be the cause of global catastrophe.