Dinosaur teeth reveal ancient secrets.

DNVN - A new research method is opening the door to recreating the ancient climate of Earth, based on fossilized dinosaur tooth enamel.

Teeth from a Camarasaurus, found in the Morrison Formation, USA, were also analyzed in this study. Source: Sauriermuseum Aathal

Scientists from the Universities of Göttingen, Mainz, and Bochum have discovered that the atmosphere during the Mesozoic era (approximately 252 to 66 million years ago) contained much higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) than it does today. This conclusion was reached after the research team analyzed oxygen isotopes preserved in dinosaur tooth enamel – a hard and durable biological substance capable of preserving traces of respiration from animals tens of millions of years ago.

Isotope analysis reveals that global photosynthesis – the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy – was occurring at approximately twice the rate it does today. According to the research team, this unusual increase may have contributed to the volatile climate during the dinosaur era. The findings were recently published in the journal PNAS.

Teeth of Europasaurus, a dinosaur similar to Diplodocus, found in limestone at the Langenberg quarry in the Harz Mountains, were also analyzed in this study. Source: Thomas Tütken

Unusually high levels of CO₂ were observed during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Data from dinosaur teeth unearthed in North America, Africa, and Europe suggests that by the end of the Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago, the atmosphere contained approximately four times more CO₂ than in the pre-industrial era – before humans began emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases.

By the end of the Cretaceous period, approximately 73 to 66 million years ago, these concentrations were still three times higher than they are today. Notably, the teeth of Tyrannosaurus rex and Kaatedocus siberi – a relative of Diplodocus – reveal unusual oxygen isotope composition, suggesting that the increase in CO₂ may have been linked to major volcanic eruptions. One example is the Deccan Traps in India, which occurred during the late Cretaceous period.

High CO₂ concentrations and rising average annual temperatures have spurred more vigorous photosynthesis in both terrestrial and aquatic plants, contributing to the transformation of global ecosystems.

A Tyrannosaurus Rex tooth – similar to the one analyzed in this study – was found in Alberta, Canada. Source: Thomas Tütken

A turning point for paleoclimatology.

Previously, scientists relied on carbonates in soil or "marine representatives" such as fossils and chemical markers in sediments to reconstruct ancient climates. However, these methods still have many uncertainties.

New research marks a breakthrough: for the first time, oxygen isotopes in fossilized tooth enamel are being used as a direct tool to trace ancient terrestrial climates.

“Our method gives us a completely new perspective on Earth’s past,” emphasized Dr. Dingsu Feng, lead author from the Department of Geochemistry, University of Göttingen. “It opens up the possibility of using fossil enamel to study past atmospheric composition and plant productivity – which is crucial for understanding long-term climate dynamics.”

According to Feng, dinosaur teeth were like special "climate scientists": "From over 150 million years ago, they recorded climate patterns in their enamel – and only now can humans decipher that message."

La Khe (According to SciTech Daily)

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/rang-khung-long-he-lo-bi-mat-thoi-co-dai/20250827041908616