Wildfires in the Early Triassic of northeastern Pangaea: Evidence from fossil charcoal in the Bogda Mountains, northwestern China

Fires are an integral part of modern and ancient ecosystems, serving as friends for renewal or foes complete destruction extinction. Indicators palaeowildfire were so far absent from the Lower Triassic. Lack plants in Early Triassic due to end-Permian mass extinction event low atmospheric oxygen levels proposed major reasons scarcity wildfires. We present macroscopic charcoals Olenekian (Lower Triassic) northwestern China, indicating probable ground/smoldering fires occurred on landscapes mid-latitudes northeastern Pangaea. Atmospheric concentration during would have been above 18.5%. These findings demonstrate that wildfires continued be a source disturbance terrestrial ecosystems Bogda Mountains after marine biotic crisis. There adequate supplies fuels this critical time period Earth history.