Unique Gemstone From 'World of Contrasts' Revealed in Antarctica

(NLDO) - A seabed drilling rig in Antarctica accidentally dug up an unparalleled gem.

According to Sci-News, inside the sediment core collected by the MARUM-MeBo70 seabed drilling rig from the middle shelf of the Pine Island Glacier in Amundsen Bay, scientists found the first Antarctic amber.

Amber has been found in many places around the world, but never in Antarctica, for a simple reason: This precious stone is fossilized tree resin, and Antarctica has no trees.

But the new discovery has demonstrated a "contrasting world" once existed on this icy continent.

Precious amber from Antarctica - Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut/V. Schumacher

The British-German research team led by Dr. Johann Klages from the University of Bremen (Germany) said that this unique amber is about 92 to 83 million years old, meaning the tree resin that made it flowed during the Cretaceous period.

This amber shows that Antarctica must have been a forest at that time, or at least the West Antarctic.

Other evidence from sediment cores led scientists to speculate that it was a swampy temperate rainforest environment dominated by conifers.

That environment also allowed for a myriad of animals to thrive there, possibly including dinosaurs, a vibrant world that was a stark contrast to the cold, desolate Antarctica of today.

According to Science Alert, scientists have been excavating fossilized wood and leaves in Antarctica since the early 19th century, but most date back hundreds of millions of years before the southern supercontinent Gondwana existed.

When the supercontinent broke up at the end of the Jurassic period, Antarctica drifted away from Oceania and South America towards the South Pole. It is not entirely clear what happened to the ecosystems that existed on this landmass afterward.

“It is fascinating to realize that, at some point in history, all continents had climatic conditions that allowed resin-producing plants to survive,” said Dr. Klage.

According to the paper published in the journal Antarctic Science , the team's next goal is to try to find evidence that more fully reflects the ecosystem of this ancient forest.

They also hope to find other Antarctic amber, and if they are lucky, possibly amber containing living creatures, like the famous Burmese amber in Myanmar.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/da-quy-doc-nhat-vo-nhi-tu-the-gioi-tuong-phan-lo-ra-o-nam-cuc-196241115111114866.htm