Recently, a new study has revealed that clams may have suffered a major evolutionary event that caused their extinction millions of years ago. The study, published in Nature Communications, suggests that clams evolved rapidly and then went extinct due to a drastic environmental change. This rapid evolution and extinction event is believed to have occurred during the Cretaceous Period, about 100 million years ago.

The researchers studied the fossil records of more than 200 species of clams and found that they had evolved rapidly during the Cretaceous Period. This rapid evolution resulted in an increase in the number of species of clams, as well as a change in the size and shape of the shells. The researchers believe that this rapid evolution was due to a major environmental change, such as a change in temperature or ocean chemistry. This environmental change caused the extinction of many species of clams, leading to a decrease in their numbers.

This study sheds light on the history of clams and their evolution. It also shows how drastic environmental changes can have a major impact on the evolution and extinction of species.

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source: Phys.org