When the Was a Sahara Seaway

Encompassing much of northern Africa, the Sahara Desert is well known as a scorching hot, dry place. Early European explorers, lacking experience in these harsh conditions, had a harrowing time exploring the Sahara. All too frequently, they never returned from their expeditions.

But the Sahara was not always a dry place. Believe it or not, 100 million years ago, the Sahara hosted a wetland teeming with aquatic life: fishes, turtles, crocodiles, and sharks! And many of these animals were gigantic.

Traces of a Seaway

How do we know the Sahara was a seaway? The Tuareg people, who are native to the Sahara Desert, first found traces of the wetland in fossil shells. The first published descriptions came from European scientists. And in 1850, a team of explorers, originally led by geologist Adolf