Ancient Ferns Fueled the End-Triassic Firestorm
Volcanic activity helped trigger the end-Triassic mass extinction, but a giant fern spike produced dry, combustible mats that fueled massive wildfires, leaving charcoal- and PAH-rich layers in sediment cores. Ferns, resilient underground, may have amplified the crisis for tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years, illustrating how interconnected Earth systems can worsen disasters.