Everest Preserves Ancient Marine Fossils

The summit of Mount Everest consists of gray marine limestone, meaning Earth's highest point was once part of an ancient seafloor. The limestone formed about 470 million years ago and contains fossils of marine invertebrates, including trilobites, ostracods, and crinoids. These ancient sediments now form the Qomolangma Formation, which stretches from roughly 8,600 meters to Everest's summit.

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