Ancient lost ocean may have built Central Asia’s dinosaur-era mountains

Scientists have uncovered evidence that the vanished Tethys Ocean may have sculpted Central Asia’s mountainous landscape during the dinosaur era. Using decades of geological data, researchers found that distant tectonic activity linked to the ancient ocean appears to match periods of rapid mountain formation. Surprisingly, climate and mantle processes played only a minor role. The discovery could reshape how scientists understand mountain building across the planet.