Ancient life has been discovered in Antarctica dating back fourteen million years. Fossils of plants and animals that lived on the continent before it froze over have been found in a miraculous discovery.
Lake deposits in the Dry Valleys of the Antarctic have been found that contain perfectly preserved fossils of mosses and crustaceans. These are the first ones that have been discovered even though there have been expeditions in the region for over one hundred years. Many of the fossils can be identified to living creatures, which shows how well-adapted many organisms truly are. For species to have been alive millions of years ago and not become extinct is a phenomenal discovery in itself.
The fossils are an exciting find which scientists believe will help them to understand global warming and climate change. “If we can understand how we got into this relatively cold climate phase, then that can help predict how global warming might push us back out of this phase,” says Professor Lewis from North Dakota State University.
Tags: Antarctic, crustaceans, discovery, Dry Valley, fossils, global warming, moss, preserve
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