https://gizmodo.com/the-famous-bering-land-bridge-was-more-like-a-swamp-geologists-say-2000539043 [p] Skip to content Search * Home * Latest * Tech * Reviews * Science * io9 * AI * Video * Deals * Best of 2024 Earth Science The Famous Bering Land Bridge Was More Like a Swamp, Geologists Say Why did some species, including ancient humans, cross the Bering Land Bridge between modern-day Siberia and Alaska during the last Ice Age? The picture has only gotten more complex. Margherita Bassi By Margherita Bassi Published December 16, 2024 | Comments (6) | X Copied! The Bering Land Bridge may have resembled Alaska's present-day Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge, according to researchers who presented at AGU. The Bering Land Bridge may have resembled Alaska's present-day Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge, according to researchers who presented at AGU. (c) Steve Hillebrand/USFWS During the last Ice Age, modern-day Siberia and Alaska were connected by a landmass that allowed animals--and ancient humans--to migrate across what is now the Bering Sea. While scientists have long assumed that the now-submerged topography resembled the Ice Age landscape of these two regions, recent research paints a more complex picture. Geologists suggest that between 36,000 and 11,000 years ago, the Bering Land Bridge may have been less an arid steppe grassland and more a boggy ecosystem crisscrossed by rivers. This complicates scientists' understanding of the iconic landmass and how its landscape would have facilitated or impeded the spread of different species. The scientists presented their work at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting last week. "We've been looking on land to try to reconstruct what is underwater," Jenna Hill of the U.S. Geological Survey, who took part in the research, said in an AGU statement. "But that doesn't really tell you what was on land that is now submerged between Alaska and Siberia." It's worth noting that the name "Bering Land Bridge" is often misleading. The landscape was not a literal bridge that necessarily compelled ancient humans and animals to cross it--it was a sprawling region in its own right that allowed for species to spread between Siberia and North America when sea levels were about 400 feet (122 meters) lower than today. It was a viable habitat in its own right. In 2023, Hill and her colleagues conducted sonar readings and extracted sediment cores from regions of the Bering Sea floor where previous research had indicated the likely presence of prehistoric lakes. "We were looking for several large lakes," said Sarah Fowell, a paleogeologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who was also involved in the research. "What we actually found was evidence of lots of small lakes and river channels." In addition to highlighting the rapid change from freshwater to marine sediment, the cores revealed prehistoric lake sediments, fossils, pollen, and DNA left behind in sediments. Specifically, the pollen indicated the presence of woody trees, while the fossils hinted at widespread freshwater across the Bering Land Bridge. "Even if it was mostly floodplains and ponds, the grazers were around, just uphill following higher, drier areas." "The watery, wet landscape could have been a barrier for some species, or a pathway for species that actually travel by water," Hill said. "That's how this fits into the bigger picture." This boggy topography, as the researchers note, would have made traveling easier or harder for different species. While one might assume that the watery ecosystem would prevent the migration of larger animals, however, the team also detected DNA from mammoths, meaning that there must have also been more solid paths for them to take. "It may have been marshy, but we are still seeing evidence of mammoths," Fowell explained. "Even if it was mostly floodplains and ponds, the grazers were around, just uphill following higher, drier areas." Ultimately, the geologists suggest that the Bering Land Bridge may have looked more like the modern-day Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska than its arid steppe grassland. It remains to be seen how future research will continue to shape our understanding of the landmass that brought ancient humans to North America. AlaskaBering Land Bridgesiberia Daily Newsletter Get the best tech, science, and culture news in your inbox daily. Select [ ] News from the future, delivered to your present. Select [ ] Please select your desired newsletters and submit your email to upgrade your inbox. [ ] Sign me up Leave this field empty if you're human: [ ] You May Also Like * Image of a Siberian crater EartherEarth Science Chemists Finally Unravel the Mystery of Siberia's Explosive Craters Underground methane blasts are behind Siberia's puzzling exploding craters, according to new research. By Adam Kovac Published September 29, 2024 * Photo: Ivan Nikiforov EartherEarth Science Siberia's Wildfire Season Is Raging Out of Control. Again. Fire season in one of the coldest places on Earth is once again going off with sky-high temperatures and smoke-blanketed cities. By Molly Taft Published July 20, 2021 * Image: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery EartherClimate Change Ground Temperatures Hit 118 Degrees in the Arctic Circle The ongoing climate crisis is not going to spare Siberia. By Isaac Schultz Published June 22, 2021 * * Image: Pierre Markuse/Flickr EartherClimate Change Siberia Is on Fire--and It's Only May By Molly Taft Published May 3, 2021 * Graphic: Various Tech NewsBest of the Week An Exploding Tundra, Voter Fraud, and Ancient Singing Dogs: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week By Alyse Stanley Published September 6, 2020 * Image: Pierre Markuse/Flickr Earther Arctic Wildfires Have Never Released This Much Carbon Dioxide By Brian Kahn Published September 3, 2020 Latest news Year In Review 2024 Popcorn Buckets Dune The Year in Popcorn Buckets Trump sits on a couch. Conspiracy Theories Flourish as Mystery 'Drones' Spotted Across U.S. Iceberg A23a The Planet's Largest Iceberg Is on the Loose Wicked For Good Ariana Grande Cynthia Erivo Universal Pictures Wicked: Part Two Now Has an Official New Title Reid Hoffman at a conference in Idaho LinkedIn Founder Says He Hired Security After Elon Musk Tied Him to Jeffrey Epstein Nvidia Rtx 4090 on a table next to a controller and movie disc case Leak Reveals the Nvidia RTX 5090 Will Need a Ridiculous Amount of Space Inside Your PC OpenAI logo displayed on a laptop screen and SearchGPT website displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo ChatGPT Search Goes Wide, Now Available to Free Users Ai Generated Holiday Cheer I'm Using Image Playground and Pixel Studio to Make the Laziest Holiday Cards The Best Tech Gifts of 2024 The Best Tech Gifts of 2024 The Best Tech Gifts of 2024 Latest news The Year in Popcorn Buckets 12/16/2024, 5:30 pm Year In Review 2024 Popcorn Buckets Dune Conspiracy Theories Flourish as Mystery 'Drones' Spotted Across U.S. 12/16/2024, 4:50 pm Trump sits on a couch. The Planet's Largest Iceberg Is on the Loose 12/16/2024, 4:40 pm Iceberg A23a Wicked: Part Two Now Has an Official New Title 12/16/2024, 4:31 pm Wicked For Good Ariana Grande Cynthia Erivo Universal Pictures Latest Reviews The D-20 Watch Will Never Beat Real Dice for D&D, but It Comes Close 12/15/2024, 5:00 am Timestop D 20 Watch Rpg Books And Dice 2 Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Review: So Light, So Expensive 12/14/2024, 9:00 am Galaxy Chromebook Plus 6 Google Pixel Watch 3 Review: The Best Smartwatch for the Android Faithful 12/10/2024, 8:43 am Pixel Watch 3 Hero iPhone 16 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro, or Galaxy S24 Ultra: Which Flagship Phone Has the Best Camera? 12/9/2024, 9:00 am Shot of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and Google Pixel 9 Pro on a pink desk with a Buddha water ornament and a brass jar * * * X * * * * Sitemap * Edicion ES * Edition FR * Edicao PT * Accessibility * Privacy Policy * Terms of Use * Advertising * Reprints & Permissions * Your Privacy Choices * How We Review Products We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites. (c)2024 GIZMODO USA LLC. All rights reserved. * Cyber Monday * Best VPN + Best Free VPN + Best Cheap VPN + NordVPN Review + ExpressVPN Review + PIA Review + ProtonVPN Review + Surfshark Review + Super Bowl 2025 + US Open 2024 * Best Cloud Storage * Best Web Hosting * About Gizmodo Mode Follow us * * * X * * * * Home * Latest * Tech * Reviews * Science * io9 * AI * Video * Deals * Best of 2024 * How to Tip Gizmodo * About Gizmodo * + Cyber Monday + Best VPN o Best Free VPN o Best Cheap VPN o NordVPN Review o ExpressVPN Review o PIA Review o ProtonVPN Review o Surfshark Review o Super Bowl 2025 o US Open 2024 + Best Cloud Storage + Best Web Hosting + About Gizmodo Mode Follow us * * * X * * * [ ] Cookies settings