The disconnection of the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic in the late Miocene 5 to 6 million years ago led to the sea’s nearly complete desiccation, leaving only a few hypersaline lakes similar to the present-day Dead Sea. There is a mass of data from both the geological and modern biological records that tracks this crisis and its legacy. Agiadi et al. (including Marco Taviani CNR-ISMAR) undertook a comprehensive analysis of the event, including an evaluation of extinction rates and where repopulation originated, allowing a precise assessment of biodiversity before, during, and after the crisis.
Agiadi K., Hohmann N., Gliozzi E., Thivaiou D., Bosellini F.R., Taviani M., Bianucci G., Collareta A., Londeix L., Faranda C., Bulian F., Koskeridou E., Lozar F., Mancini A.M., Dominici S., Moissette P., Campos I. B., Borghi E., Iliopoulos G., Antonarakou A., Kontakiotis G., Besiou E., Zarkogiannis S.D., Harzhauser M., Sierro F.J., Coll M., Vasiliev I., Camerlenghi A., García-Castellanos D. BO
The marine biodiversity impact of the Late Miocene Mediterranean salinity crisis
Science, 29 Aug 2024, Vol 385, Issue 6712, pp. 986-991, DOI: 10.1126/science.adp3703
