Thursday, May 09, 2013
Study shows Antarctica was tropical
Imagine those palm trees are penguins - the study suggests that 52 million years ago summer temperatures in coastal Antarctica reached up to 27 degrees Celsius, and the climate was similar to modern-day Queensland.
Image: mvaligursky/iStockphoto
Balmy tropical temperatures and frost-sensitive vegetation prevailed on the coast of Antarctica 52 million years ago, according to a study of drill cores from under the seafloor off the coast of Antarctica.
Scientists studying pollen and micro-fossils from under the seafloor near Wilkes Land have confirmed that tropical vegetation such as shown here on the Queensland coast thrived in coastal Antarctica 52 million years ago.
Tropical vegetation, similar to what can be seen on the Queensland coast today, was growing in the area now known as Wilkes... [via Sciencealert]
Additional Coverage
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Drilling discovers ancient Antarctic rainforest (COSMOS magazine )
