Warm Antarctic caves harbour secret life: scientists
Source: Yahoo News
A secret world of animals and plants -- including unknown species -- may live in warm caves under Antarctica's glaciers, scientists said Friday.
The caves, hollowed out by steam from active volcanoes, are light and could reach temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit), researchers said, raising the possibility of a whole ecosystem of flora and fauna deep beneath the frozen surface.
A study led by the Australian National University around Mount Erebus, an active volcano on Ross Island in Antarctica, showed extensive cave systems.
Lead researcher Ceridwen Fraser said forensic analyses of soil samples from the caves had revealed intriguing traces of DNA from algae, mosses and small animals.
Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/warm-antarctic-caves-harbour-secret-life-scientists-020258806.html
irisblue
(33,061 posts)The Wielding Truth
(11,415 posts)bacteria, molds, and species.
irisblue
(33,061 posts)creepy
alfredo
(60,082 posts)woodsprite
(11,941 posts)WhiteTara
(29,736 posts)ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)Are he and his cohort a group of algae, mosses, and small animals that crawled out of a cave beneath the ice? It now makes perfect sense why he wants climate change: he wants to free his trapped brethren.
DFW
(54,516 posts)Solly Mack
(90,803 posts)Beautiful. Majestic. Magical, winter-wonderland.
DFW
(54,516 posts)If it's as difficult to access as the article indicates, we had better get busy right away if we are going ruin it during our lifetime. After all, this is not the sort of thing we want to leave to the next generation.
sinkingfeeling
(51,499 posts)his 2 companions frozen to death. Scott knew so little about Antarctica when he attempted to go to South Pole.
NickB79
(19,301 posts)What the hell is it photosynthesizing?
Also, this is a potential example of how we might find life on Mars, in deep, warm cave systems.
csziggy
(34,140 posts)From the link in the OP:
"The caves, hollowed out by steam from active volcanoes, are light and could reach temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit), researchers said, raising the possibility of a whole ecosystem of flora and fauna deep beneath the frozen surface."
The picture with the article seems to show light diffused through the ice.
jpak
(41,761 posts)Tekeli-li !
AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)Tekeli-li...
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,757 posts)cagefreesoylentgreen
(838 posts)sdfernando
(4,960 posts)One of my favorite authors, James Rollins, wrote his novel Subterranean set within these caves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subterranean_(novel)
Rollo
(2,559 posts)I believe the correct term is "troglodytes"...
.
Rollo
(2,559 posts).
dembotoz
(16,866 posts)so a question would be....did the life start separately in the caves or were the caves contaminated at some point by life above and it evolved separately from there
and way above my education level to ponder