New Delhi India (UNA) :

New research using a global fossil database shows that the dawn of fishes one of the most important steps in the evolution of vertebrate life came right after a widespread mass death event in the world’s oceans hundreds of millions of years ago. The study suggests that environmental stress wiped out many older marine species, creating space for early fish to diversify and thrive.

Before this ancient die-off, life in the oceans was dominated by simpler organisms and early invertebrates. But when that wave of extinctions hit, it opened ecological niches that early vertebrates could exploit. Fossils from multiple continents show a sudden increase in fish fossils shortly after the decline of earlier creatures, indicating that fishes quickly became more common and varied.

For everyday nature lovers and curious readers, this discovery helps explain how life on Earth has repeatedly bounced back after catastrophic events. Just as modern ecosystems recover after natural disasters, ancient ecosystems also re-organized themselves, allowing new life forms to evolve and dominate.

The research also highlights the value of large fossil databases, which allow scientists to track changes in species over millions of years and across vast regions. By analysing patterns of death and emergence in the rock record, scientists can better understand how life responded to past environmental stresses.

Experts say this finding improves our understanding of evolutionary history and shows how times of crisis can lead to periods of rapid innovation in nature. The insights may even help scientists predict how modern ecosystems might change today as environments are altered by climate shifts and human activity.