DNA Found in Warm Antarctic Caves Could Mean New Plant and Animal Discoveries

 

Australian researchers studying glacial caves in Antarctica say they are so warm they could support plant and animal life.

This hypothesis comes after researchers have explored caves that could be as warm as 25 degrees Celsius or about 77 degrees Fahrenheit and found DNA that leads them to believe there could be living within the glaciers.

Australian researchers studying glacial caves in Antarctica say they are so warm they could support plant and animal life.

This hypothesis comes after researchers have explored caves that could be as warm as 25 degrees Celsius or about 77 degrees Fahrenheit and found DNA that leads them to believe there could be living within the glaciers.

The focus of the work has been on Mt. Erebus, an active volcano on Ross Island. Steam from the volcano has actually hollowed out complex cave systems under the glacier and DNA from algae, mosses, and small animals have been found.

The next step is to explore these caves more in depth, but co-researcher, Dr. Charles Lee says, “They’re really difficult to identify, get to, and explore."

After scientists last month released findings of over 90 volcanoes in the icy continent, it could mean a complex system of interconnected cave systems underneath the ice.

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