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Understanding environmental impacts of plastic requires a palaeontological lens

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 9, pages 1539–1541 (2025) Cite this article

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Growing evidence suggests that timescales for plastic degradation have been vastly underestimated. The fossil record of plastic-like biopolymers might provide a perspective on plastic fossilization in deep time.

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Fig. 1: Possible degradation pathways for plastic.
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  1. School of Geography, Geology and Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Sarah Gabbott, Arnoud Boom & Jan Zalasiewicz

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  1. Sarah Gabbott
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  2. Arnoud Boom
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  3. Jan Zalasiewicz
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Correspondence to Sarah Gabbott.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Gabbott, S., Boom, A. & Zalasiewicz, J. Understanding environmental impacts of plastic requires a palaeontological lens. Nat Ecol Evol 9, 1539–1541 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02813-5

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