The study, published in Nature Geoscience, reveals how recent volcanic activity in Panama and Costa Rica holds clues to the continent-building processes that occurred billions of years ago. While many scientists believe that all of Earth's continental crust was formed during a specific time period in history, the research shows that new continental crust has been created throughout Earth's existence. This challenges the traditional belief that all continental crust recycles through tectonic plate collisions. Senior author Esteban Gazel, an assistant professor of geology at Virginia Tech, stated that the discovery of "juvenile" continental crust contradicts the idea that Earth has been continuously recycling its crust. The creation of the Galapagos islands from melting oceanic crust provided the necessary conditions for the generation of continental crust similar to the ancient Achaean era. Researchers have found that the erupted lavas from the islands have a composition resembling continental crust and have observed seismic waves traveling through the crust at velocities comparable to those found in continental crust worldwide. Other examples of recently formed juvenile continental crust include the western Aleutian Islands and the Iwo-Jima segment of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) arc system. This study raises questions about the global impact of newly formed continental crust on the evolution of continents and life itself. One significant example is the creation of the Central American land bridge, which led to the sealing of the seaway. This event caused a shift in ocean circulation, the isolation of marine species, and a substantial influence on the Earth's climate. Gazel stated, "We have uncovered a significant mystery in the history of our planet."