What Killed the Yangtze River?

The Yangtze River, Asia’s longest river, has been central to China’s economy and ecosystems for millennia. Stretching from the edge of the Tibet autonomous region to Shanghai on the country’s eastern coast, its meandering waters are fed by over a fifth of China’s land area.

For a long time, it was the source of much of China’s aquatic biodiversity, teeming with over 4,000 species and producing over 40% of the world’s freshwater fish supply.