African grasslands expanded 5 million year earlier than previously thought, molecular fossils suggest

AI Summary

Molecular fossil studies suggest that African grasslands expanded around 5 million years earlier than previously believed. These grassland savannas play a significant role in local wildlife and global climate, but ongoing environmental changes may alter their dynamics in complex ways.

The iconic grassland savannas of Africa are geographically extensive and important for both local fauna and the global climate. But where did they come from, and how will they change in the future? Ongoing warming, rising CO2 levels and shifting rainfall patterns are likely to profoundly change these ecosystems. These effects are difficult to predict because they can alter ecosystems in competing ways.