If you scaled Mount Everest, you'd probably be surprised to find fossilised marine creatures – including trilobites, crinoids and brachiopods – on Earth’s highest peak.
Their presence hints at how the Himalayas formed around 50 million years ago. It’s also a key piece of evidence for plate tectonics.
When the supercontinent Pangea broke apart 200 million years ago, the Indian plate began moving northwards towards Asia.
Eventually, it collided with the Eurasian plate, forcing the land – including part of the seabed of the ancient Tethys Ocean – upwards.
This enormous collision created the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, lifting ocean fossils over 8,000m (26,000ft) above sea level.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Sonia Carroll, Brighton) 'Why are there marine fossils at the top of Mount Everest?'
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