Earth Was a Very Different Place Before Mud
A great mud boom 400 million years ago changed features such as the shape of rivers and the planet’s biodiversity.
![An aerial view of a muddy river.](https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/7VlLH85MpItzNLuGwixaCJAJ1yo=/8x0:3300x3292/80x80/media/img/mt/2020/08/GettyImages_521765448/original.jpg)
A great mud boom 400 million years ago changed features such as the shape of rivers and the planet’s biodiversity.
When time is measured in 10-million-year blocks, the lines between ecosystems and animals that would never have coexisted can get blurry.
The world is full of unexpected relationships.