Ancient Mountain Range May Have Fed Early Life 600 Million Years Ago (VIDEO)

A massive mountain range may be behind an explosion of life that occurred 600 million years ago. Scientists have found evidence of an ancient range that once spanned 2,500 kilometers and housed a diversity of species.

The mountain range itself was similar in scale to the Himalayas. Located in modern west Africa and northeast Brazil, it was once part of the supercontinent Gondwana before it broke apart.

"Just like the Himalayas, this range was eroded intensely because it was so huge," said Daniela Rubatto, one of the researchers, in a news release. "As the sediments washed into the oceans they provided the perfect nutrients for life to flourish."

As the mountains eroded, the roots came back up to the surface and left evidence of the range in Togo, Mali and northeast Brazilian. There, scientists collected samples and then used equipment to better analyze the rocks. This revealed evidence of the ancient mountain range.

"Although the mountains have long since washed away, rocks from their roots told the story of the ancient mountain range's grandeur," said Joerg Hermann, co-researcher. "The range was formed by two continents colliding. During this collision, rocks from the crust were pushed around 100 kilometers deep into the mantle, where the high temperatures and pressures formed new minerals."

The findings reveal a bit more about this ancient mountain range, which is the earliest evidence of Himalayan-scale mountains on Earth. This, in turn, tells scientists a bit more about our geographic history and shows them exactly what kind of climate supported different species in our planet's ancient past.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Want to learn more? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.