Antarctica, now a vast expanse of ice, was once a lush tropical paradise teeming with life. Around 90 million years ago, in the mid-Cretaceous period, this southernmost continent was covered in dense rainforests and home to a diverse range of species, including dinosaurs.
In 2017, a groundbreaking discovery was made near the Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica. Researchers from institutions in Germany and the UK, including the Alfred Wegener Institute and Imperial College London, drilled into the seabed near the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers. They extracted sediment cores that contained remarkably well-preserved forest soil, pollen, spores, and root systems. The findings provided compelling evidence of a temperate rainforest in Antarctica during the Cretaceous period.
Dr Johann Klages, a geologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute and lead author of the study, said the discovery was significant: “The preservation of this 90-million-year-old forest is exceptional, giving us a glimpse into the past ecosystem of Antarctica.” The analysis showed that during this period the Earth’s climate was much warmer and carbon dioxide levels were higher than today, allowing such forests to thrive in polar latitudes.
The discovery was made possible by international collaboration with significant contributions from universities and research institutions in Germany and the UK. The sediment cores were extracted near the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers in West Antarctica.
The excavation of this ancient rainforest challenges previous assumptions about polar climates and highlights the dynamic climate history of our planet. It is also a stark reminder of the potential long-term consequences of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
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