First-Ever Amber Discovered in Antarctica Shows Rainforest Existed Near South Pole

6 comments

1. In 2017 they did core samples that showed there was an old growth forest under there.

2. I’m pretty sure I remember seeing something regarding Antarctic forests during the Triassic/Cretaceous periods on Walking With Dinosaurs way back in the time known as 1999.

3. We already know Antarctica was forested in the past, confirmed decades ago, it’s got multiple thick rich coal beds: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambert_Graben

   https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beacon_Supergroup

   It’s well studied, rich in fossils.

4. The past forests in Antarctica always intrigued me.

   It’s wild to think that a whole forest ecosystem would be able to survive being without sunlight for a large portion of the year.

5. Maybe someone just dropped it

6. > Along with fossils of roots, pollen, and spores, the amber provides some of the best evidence yet that a mid-Cretaceous, swampy rainforest existed near the South Pole, and that this prehistoric environment was “dominated by conifers”, similar to forests in New Zealand and Patagonia today.

   > The Cretaceous was one of the warmest periods in Earth’s history, and volcanic deposits found on Antarctica and nearby islands show evidence of frequent forest fires during this time.

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