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Fish DNA and 10,000 crystals rewrite Colorado River's Grand Canyon origin story
For more than 150 years, scientists have debated when and how the Colorado River first carved its way through the Grand Canyon.
AI Summary
Scientists now argue the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon gradually from north to south between 8 million and 4.8 million years ago. A study led by the University of New Mexico used geological dating, detrital sanidine crystals, and fish genetics to trace the river’s ancient course. The research, published in *Nature Communications*, integrates tectonic activity with biological evidence to reconstruct the river’s development. This approach offers a new timeline for the canyon’s formation.
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