Jurassic era global warming may provide a warning for marine life over the next century.

Findings along the north Yorkshire coast have shown a “dead zone” period for Jurassic era marine life, caused by higher sea temperatures and lower oxygen levels, which drastically altered ancient marine ecosystems.

Fossils discovered along the coast were radically different on either side of the “dead zone” – where nearly no signs of life were discovered – suggesting that global warming may have caused a mass extinction of marine life, only to be replaced by new species.