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News Release 11-250
Ancient Environment Led to Earth's Current Marine Biodiversity
Changes in global carbon, sulfur cycles and to sea-level fueled biological responses
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![fossil snails known as turritellid gastropods.](/news/mmg/media/images/past_life1_f.jpg)
Fossil snails known as turritellid gastropods; they're about 13 million years old.
Credit: Shanan Peters
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![sedimentary rocks in the Grand Canyon, Arizona.](/news/mmg/media/images/past_life2_f.jpg)
Sedimentary rocks in the Grand Canyon, Arizona; they reflect patterns of long-ago seas.
Credit: Shanan Peters
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![fossil horn corals.](/news/mmg/media/images/past_life3_f.jpg)
Horn corals about 450 million years old; they're often found in the fossil record.
Credit: Shanan Peters
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![rock formations in Montana.](/news/mmg/media/images/past_life4_f.jpg)
Rocks in present-day Montana record the comings and goings of former shallow seas.
Credit: Shanan Peters
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![a succession of sedimentary rocks exposed in Montana.](/news/mmg/media/images/past_life5_f.jpg)
A succession of sedimentary rocks from ancient shallow seas, exposed now in Montana.
Credit: Shanan Peters
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![Cover of the November 25, 2011 issue of the journal Science](/news/mmg/media/images/science_112511_f.jpg)
The researchers' work is described in the November 25, 2011 issue of the journal Science.
Credit: Copyright AAAS 2011
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