Scientists Say Antarctica’s Lost ‘Supermountains’ May Have Fueled an Explosion of Life on Earth

The Cambrian explosion brought exactly that to Earth—an “explosion” of life that kickstarted the evolution of animals as we know them. Scientists have come up with a myriad of theories to explain this phenomenon, such as a recent paper on a literal sh*t-ton of poop. And here’s now another odd idea: gigantic Antarctic mountains that eroded millions of years ago.

To be exact, a new analysis of zircon particles from Antarctica strongly suggests that the barren lands once hosted an…