An ancient world that disappeared is discovered in Antarctica

Increasingly, discoveries are emerging in Antarctica that shed information on how little is known about those frozen lands, such is the case of a discovery that indicates that Before, Antarctica had exuberant biodiversity and was far from the icy appearance it currently has.

According to a study published in the journal Antarctic Science, in 2017, Researchers found a piece of amber that came from marine sediments drilled in Pine Island Bay. Said amber fragment It dates back 90 million years and confirms that in the past there was a much warmer climate during the Late Cretaceous period.

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The fragments analyzed by scientists have allowed us to obtain valuable information and reconstruct a temperate forest environment that was dominated by conifers (shrubs and trees with cone-shaped branches). Trees used resin to protect themselves from attacks such as fire or parasites, so experts hope to find significant information, such as traces of life or signs of fire.

The fossils of plants that had previously been found in this place, They pointed out the presence of forests, but never has a sample been found with such clear information about this. It is the first time that a piece of amber formed by the fossilization of tree resin has been discovered in Antarctica.

The importance of this amber sample is due to the fact that, by capturing organic matter, The resin preserves important clues about the missing ecosystem, whether insects, spores or bark fragments that help scientists understand and reveal the secrets of an ancient world.

This discovery has made researchers question the past and current appearance of Antarctica, since the samples indicate that they were not always extremely frozen lands, but rather that they were warm and full of trees. Scientists believe that This discovery will allow them to learn more about the adaptations of ecosystems to extreme conditions.

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