In Antarctica discovered a creature that survived 30 glacial periods

On our planet there are places where life seems impossible. Antarctica is one of them. But it was not always so: 68 million years ago the continent was covered by dense forests, visited the dinosaurs and the first mammals. In those days, Antarctica was connected with South America, forming the last remnants of the supercontinent Gondwana, from which it separated Africa and Australia. Only after the breakaway from South America about 35 million years ago the continent was enveloped in ice, destroying almost all life. Of course, Antarctica is famous for penguins and seals, but they live on the coast, eating fish and phytoplankton. But to survive in the depths of the continent, about 98% of which is covered with ice, they can't. It was believed, no one can. Until recently.

Who lives in Antarctica?

Starting around 1900, scientists gradually discovered that ice-free areas of land several kilometers from the coast were inhabited by tiny creatures of the COLLEMBOLAN – a subclass of small arthropods – mites, worms and even flies. All these creatures need water and often inhabited by small patches of lichen or moss on the Northern slopes, where the summer sun 24 hours a day, melted snow and moistened ground. But over time, the researchers found them in a cold and dry areas, moving inland until I found a Tullbergia is a tiny animal living under rocks in the inner mountain tops of Antarctica.

In fact, on the COLLEMBOLAN is rarely heard. This is despite the fact that the soil in the yard where you live is probably just crawling with them. Meet these tiny creatures around the world, and several species inhabit the rare areas of the ice-free surface, which are scattered across Antarctica. However, this is a very harsh place with little food, with the exception of rare microscopic fungi and bacteria. How COLLEMBOLAN Tullbergia and got there and how I was able to survive dozens of glacial periods – a riddle whose answer remains to be found. And how do you think this tiny ancient animals managed to survive in such an aggressive and cold environment? Share your opinion with participants , where you will find like-minded people.

a COLLEMBOLAN of mnogochastny look so

How to survive an Ice age?

The Results of a study published in the journal in 2005, showed that the age of origin of some Antarctic collembole much higher than the past ice ages. To assess when multiple types of Antarctic Collembola divided with species from Australia, New Zealand and Patagonia, the researchers used DNA analysis. The results were surprising – according to the data obtained, the separation occurred from 10 million to 20 million years ago. Read more about what is DNA, how it is made and why it is needed .

Not surprisingly, these results have left researchers at a loss as to how these tiny creatures have survived many ice ages? Some have suggested that animals could survive in small isolated valleys called Dry valleys McMurdo, in the Northern part of the Transantarctic mountains, but the exact answer to this question is nobody knows.

in Front of you greatly increased the Tullbergia. White and bristly in life, it quickly dries up and dies when exposed to air.

Tullbergia and other animals not found in other parts of Antarctica. Their study further showed that even in the warmer seasons, the movement of these animals was more limited. So, some of the population lived just 10 kilometers from each other but do not overlap in the five million years! It turned out this does not traveled. But, in this case, Tullbergia managed to survive at least 30 glacial periods, not moving more than a few kilometers and with no contact with other populations? This question is all the more puzzling that most of the time these animals were trapped in a narrow zone between ice and deadly toxic salt.

If you look at the mountains and the icy continent from the helicopter, you can see a faint line running across the slopes in a couple of hundred meters above the ice surface the rock changes color from light below to dark line above it. These lines show how high up the ice during the last glacial period – is the result of subtle differences in the method of oxidation of minerals when they are exposed to the air. Soil any transantarctic mountains and it is often covered with a white crust of salt.

But this salt – because of the high content of nitrates is toxic for many living beings and creates a trap for small animals such as Tullbergia, who are trying to escape from the advancing glaciers. Staying in place, they will be buried under the ice, but the climb up the hill leads to deposits of toxic salts. Not the most comfortable living environment, it does not say. Anyway, if this previously unknown to science survived 30 glacial periods, they clearly should not be underestimated.

looks like Tullbergia – tiny animal that survived the ice ages of 30