By analyzing the fossil enamel of dinosaurs, a study reveals CO₂ levels up to three times higher than today: the fault of the intense volcanic activity that inflamed the Mesozoic.
Dinosaurs lived in a climate much richer in carbon dioxide than today. A study by the Universities of Göttingen and Mainz (Germany) reconstructed the composition of Mesozoic air by analyzing the oxygen isotopes preserved in the enamel of fossil teeth.
The results indicate that in the Upper Jurassic the concentration of CO₂ reached around 1,200 parts per million, while in the Late Cretaceous this figure stood at 750 ppm, compared to around 430 today.
Warmer climate
According to the researchers, these high levels were fueled primarily by intense volcanic activity, which pumped huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Some finds show sharp increases in CO₂, probably linked to large eruptions.
A chemical signature in fossils
This technique opens a new window on the past: the teeth of dinosaurs preserve a “chemical signature” of the air breathed millions of years ago, allowing us to reconstruct the climate and ecosystems in which they lived.
