Lost world frozen 14m years ago found in Antarctica

I just thought this was interesting.

Lost world frozen 14 million years ago discovered

The fossils of plants and animals high in the mountains is an extremely rare find in the continent, one that also gives a glimpse of a what could be there in a century or two as the planet warms.
A team working in an ice-free region has discovered the trove of ancient life in what must have been the last traces of tundra on the interior of the southernmost continent before temperatures began to drop relentlessly

Cool, no pun intended.

What's scary is surely that should all be under snow and ice?

reply to post by jokei


If you read the article, it says that this climate that we have become accustomed to is an anomaly given the earth's climate history. The evidence more than suggests that the "normal" condition of the planet is without permanent ice covered areas.

To me, this strongly suggests that not only is the global warming trend a part of a natural cycle, but that plants and animals that existed prior to the planet's cooling can and do survive what, if humans had been around 14 million years ago, would have been declared a calamitous 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. For the vast majority of Earth history there was no permanent ice like is common today at the poles and even the tropics at high elevation. There's been a progressive cooling going on for 50 million years to get us into this permanent-ice mode; the formation of a permanent ice sheet on Antarctica plays a big role in that cooling.

[...]

"To be able to identify living species amongst the fossils is phenomenal. To think that modern counterparts have survived 14 million years on Earth without any significant changes in the details of their appearances is striking. It must mean that these organisms are so well-adapted to their habitats that in spite of repeated climate changes and isolation of populations for millions of years they have not become extinct but have survived."

What caused the big freeze is unknown though theories abound and include phenomena as different as the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and tectonic shifts that affected ocean circulation.

/6dpm8g

[edit on 2008/8/15 by GradyPhilpott]

reply to post by Clearskies


cant wait for a nephilim to pop up somewhere in one of these finds

thanks for this

david

reply to post by drevill


haha, imagine that happeing. Good find thought CS.

Its pretty fun to find out that there was once a civilisation living under "permanent" ice. It would be really good actualy becasue everything under the ice would have been preserved so much better then if it was above the ice. I just dont get why the writer of the article is so supprised that everything is in as good condition as it is.

reply to post by funky monk


Thanks!
I don't think this particular dig has any HUMAN artifacts, but, this is of interest;

Prof Ashworth is struck by how species of diatoms and mosses are indistinguishable from living ones. Today they occur throughout the world - except Antarctica.

"To be able to identify living species amongst the fossils is phenomenal. To think that modern counterparts have survived 14 million years on Earth without any significant changes in the details of their appearances is striking. It must mean that these organisms are so well-adapted to their habitats that in spite of repeated climate changes and isolation of populations for millions of years they have not become extinct but have survived."

WOW, more fossils millions of years old with NO change. No evolutionary leaps or bounds.
I expect there will be MANY more finds with greater archeological significance, now that the ice is melting.