Ancient ferns turned Triassic Europe into a wildfire inferno
New research indicates that the end-Triassic mass extinction was exacerbated by widespread wildfires fueled by the rapid expansion of ferns. Scientists used new methods, including analyzing organic microfossil color changes, to track fire activity during this period of global warming.
Why it matters
Understanding how ancient ecosystems responded to rapid climate change provides critical context for how modern environments might react to current global warming trends.
The end-Triassic mass extinction struck about 201 million years ago and has been tied to enormous volcanic eruptions associated with the break-up of Pangea. Those eruptions released vast quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere, driving global temperatures up by an estimated 5 to 10 degrees Celsius.
As the planet heated, forests dominated by trees collapsed. Ferns quickly moved into the damaged landscapes, spreading across large parts of what is now Northwest Europe and creating broad savannah-like environments. New research from an international team led by geologists at Utrecht University suggests that these fern-covered regions were highly vulnerable to fire. The ferns themselves may have supplied much of the fuel that kept the flames spreading.
The findings were published in Nature Geoscience on July 21, 2026.
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